here in altadena, this housejust another example.amily didn�*t even have time to take their car as they were fleeing. 0ver have time to take their car as they were fleeing. over in this direction, i want to show you this chimney, because this is so symbolic of what we�*re seeing process landscape. christian means that this is where a house once the — almost a gravestone. —— christening remain. a buddha here in this garden, a peace sign that is all that is left. everyone has their individual story of getting on tuesday night, some people fleeing with their pets, and of course now they have nowhere for their animals as well if they did manage to get out. we�*re also hearing reports of animals also being injured in this wildfire. a little earlier today, i was at the pasadena humane society, who already taken in over a50 animals. they say they�*ve never seen anything like this. i was talking to kevin mcmanus from the pasadena humane society about how distressing it is to see all these animals coming in. it must be difficult to see so man

los bomberos se dijeron listos en altadena, california.ro llegÓ a altadena, donde hay mÁs de 7000 estructuras destruidas o daÑadas por el incendio y ahÍ encontrÓ a muchos damnificados angustiados por verse en la calle. pero tambiÉn fue testigo de la solidaridad de esa comunidad. >> todavÍa cuesta creer lo que pasÓ. las imÁgenes aturden en solo un instante casi todo se perdiÓ casi todo, porque los buenos vecinos aquÍ siguen en este centro improvisado de ayuda. han traÍdo agua, ropa, comida para los damnificados en la fila para encontrar alimento. conocimos a la seÑora paula. envuelta por el abrazo de otra buena vecina. cuÁnto se dice con un abrazo? paula perdiÓ su casa en altadena y da mucha tristeza comenzar de nuevo. >> es difÍcil, muy difÍcil. pero tengo a mi familia. >> lo siento mucho. >> es inmigrante mexicana en esta casa. vivÍa. escapÓ a tiempo con su familia, pero no pudo llevarse nada. >> mucho miedo, mucho miedo y saber dÓnde nos vamos a ir a quedar. todo, todo, todo. lo perdimos. todo. >> el incendio eaton en altadena es el segu

we are in the altadena site, a lot of these i altadena site, a lot of these people — altadena site, a can'tjust go into housing _ people can'tjust go into housing without - people can'tjust go into housing without havingi people can'tjust go into- housing without having some assistance _ housing without having some assistance. it _ housing without having some assistance. it makes- housing without having some assistance. it makes a - housing without having some assistance. it makes a big i assistance. it makes a big difference. _ assistance. it makes a big difference. in— assistance. it makes a big difference. in these - difference. in these situations, - difference. in these situations, the i difference. in these i situations, the recovery, difference. in these - situations, the recovery, the rebuilding _ situations, the recovery, the rebuilding for— situations, the recovery, the rebuilding for these - situations, the recovery, the rebuilding for these people i rebuilding for these people will be _ rebuilding for these people will be years. _ rebuilding for these people will be years.

in altadena, thousands more families are homeless.ga, her house and backyard floral studio never stood a chance. we work so hard to get here and now to see it this way. i never thought i would live through something like this. so many heartbreaking stories. and among the ashes in altadena, the town's historically black community. velena jones is there tonight with more on how the community embraced diversity and the concerns of what it will look like in the future. among the ashes in altadena includes the community's history of acceptance and diversity. that was the most important thing my dad shared with me. he says, make sure you buy your house, you know? so when we bought this house in 1993, the whole thing was to buy it and create generational wealth. we were not going to leave. kevin williams family moved here 1965 as a kid, while many families were being pushed out of their communities and redlined. williams family found refuge in altadena with a dream of creating generational wealth. again, one of the other reasons why we wante

y esta es su casa 320 de la calle marathon en altadena, california. >> todavÍa cuesta creer lo que pasÓ. llegamos sin nada como inmigrantes, nos dice la seÑora paula. y nos vamos 30 aÑos despuÉs sin nada. pero es verdad. ahÍ estÁn los vecinos. gracias por estar con nosotros. asÍ vamoslón estados unidos... jueves de la semana número cinco. el primer enfrentamiento entre rojos y azules fue en el circuito de fuerza por la villa exatlón. - dale, dale, dale, dale, dale, dale, dale.

role in the history of altadena altadena. um, you know, just resonates with you. >> um, i'm looking at some of the pictures that are being posted, and it's like bringing back certain themes, certain memories. um, i do like i said, i live in pasadena. i have been in pasadena, raised and born in pasadena, and i also have my son and two other, um, kids that were born and raised in pasadena. um, we were hoping that this year my grandchild, because he is expecting a daughter. um, yeah, a daughter. so that would have been three generations that are here. um, are we actually that would have been four. but i am born and raised. been here for 63 years, and, um, there's nothing but memories there. i on the thursday after the fire, i was able to walk approximately three miles to get to my mom's home. and there is so much disaster going up to the loma alta area, going down loma alta, seeing the school that i actually the middle school that i actually attended was burned the that all the homes on that particular street. my mom's street, y

altadena area. firefighters have stopped forward movement of the kenneth fire that broke out yesterday afternoon in the calabasas area, and we're starting to see containment slowly, slowly tick up on the two biggest fires. the eaton fire, 3% contained after damaging more than 9000 structures and vehicles around altadena. it is burning very close to the communication towers on mount wilson, causing some signal issues for la tv stations this morning and the palisades fire that is 8% contained after breaking out on tuesday in the pacific palisades area and spreading to malibu. new aerial footage from this morning shows the scope of that destruction. it has damaged at least 5300 structures and vehicles, and today the national guard will begin patrolling some areas. 20 people have been arrested for looting in the two fires, and a curfew will be in effect in the fire zone starting this evening. for the very latest on the firefight, now go live to charlie demar, live in altadena. charlie. >>>>and ryan, we

this was taken today in altadena. fire officials say the fire has destroyed or damaged between 4,000 to 5,000 structures. the eaton fire has killed at least five people throughout pasadena, altadena and the forest area. reporter jasmine veal caught up with the family who told her they lost a dad and grandfather in that fire. >> reporter: it was text messages or you couldn't get through to him? >> the text messages stopped probably about 11:00 p.m. at about 11:00 p.m. the text messages stopped and the last phone call when i talked to him was about 9:30 and he was walking around with his lantern in the house. chase and i were talking to him on facetime and he was in there with his lantern gathering his stuff and putting stuff up. had he just took his medicine and that was it. >> reporter: your son left a few hours after that at 11:00 p.m. he's okay. >> chase is okay. >> reporter: traumatized, i'm sure. >> very much so. very much so. >> reporter: i'm so sorry. i just thank you for even talking and being this is strong. i

altadena community church, the altadena mosque, all gone. the creativity of people in altadena, their devotion to community, i just know that this community is resilient and will build itself back up to what it was before. >> tell us about some of the people in altadena and pasadena. and i raise this because you just sometimes people who don't live in california see on the news this celebrity's home was lost, which is obviously terrible, but it doesn't always feel like it's middle class working families who are the people who live in these communities that you represent? >> these are people from all kinds of different socioeconomic backgrounds. >> we have a huge working class population here, small business owners that have these vibrant and creative kind of. things to offer to the community. we have a huge african american population in altadena. they came here from the 20s and 30s, from the jim crow south, and they faced redlining elsewhere. but altadena opened its doors, so they came and they built churches and organizations, and they are

we're live in altadena tonight. josh einiger, abc seven news. >> we'll keep our fingers crossed for them. josh, thank you so much. if you'd like to help people affected by the california wildfires, you can donate at red cross.org/abc to help the red cross respond and help people recover, and from the conditions in southern california to conditions here in the bay area. the wind is the big story today. let's give you a live look outside. right now it looks pretty clear. and usually when we see clear that's associated with winds. that's right. spencer, i've listened to you enough to know. yeah. >> no, you're right about that. well, we had some pretty strong wind gusts earlier today. in fact, kristen, we also had a wind advisory in effect for much of the north bay. the winds have calmed down a little bit right now. so here's a look at the satellite radar composite image adding to the windy pattern we've had the last several days is the development of this low pressure system, which is adding to the intensity of the win

in altadena, 3%.ing in the right direction, but of course, such a long way from being under control. annita: as adults, difficult to really take in the extent of this, let alone a young child. i wonder as you have spoken to other people today, do you feel they are in a state of limbo, state of shock, or are they thinking in terms of practical matters, the question of talking to insurers, what they do next, do they rebuild, all of those questions? helena: they are doing.all of those things they are speaking to insurers. there has been some difficulty for some people because some insurance was separated out for not just natural disasters but separate for earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, so that is a fresh headache for them. when you ask them the question of what's next, how do you rebuild, generally you just get a sense of exasperation, exhaustion. it is so difficult to confront those questions right now. and this is in southern california where people are used to wildfires. but they all tell me they

isn't a lens wide enough to capture the extent of what happened in altadena, california.housands of homes have all but vanished. now there are row after row of ash, very established homes and established communities, generational family homes that have been passed down. >> and it's extremely sad to see the devastation that has happened here. >> jake rodriguez works for the u.s. forest service, which owns the land where the fire started, in the mountains that ring this city and from which the firestorm raged. >> when you have a wind event like that, it's nearly impossible to get in front of the fire. and even if you do get in front of the fire, it's very difficult to combat it just because the wind is so heavy and strong, and the fire behavior is very extreme and erratic. >> altadena is far removed from downtown l.a. and the freeways and the smog instead, set against the backdrop of the angeles national forest. those beautiful mountains made for an idyllic place to live until fire roared down them and devoured everything in its path. today in altadena, power crews started

in altadena today, a fresh look at the destruction. more than 7000 structures were burned, and some who lost their homes and businesses are seeing that destruction for the first time. let's bring in nbc's velena jones, who was there? many of those residents tell us they are frustrated with the lack of communicationrom law enforcement. they tell us that they came here to the evacuation zone after being sent an email that they thought would grant them permission to come see their homes, only to be turned away. altadena residents are now facing a new reality. it's been gutting. it's like it's like armageddon at the top of lake avenue. mollie stein's house is one of the few that survived the eaton fire. airdrops help put out flames next door and save her home at the same time. tonight, she's struggling with survivor's guilt. we have a house, but we're going to live there with no village and nothing around us. it's a it's a terrible situation. stein is one of the many residents who gathered on lake avenue to try to access their home. today.

of the altadena residents near you. >> everything in this neighborhood, altadena is not existing right now. >> you assume you're about to lose everything. that's all you can think about. is the house that your kids grew up is about to burn coudown. >> it's scary when you can see the flames coming up over the houses two blocks away and you're just getting out of the driveway. >> sandra: have you been able to connect with others in your community and again for your viewers, this is a live shot right now,al altadena, californ, where these flames continue. >> i have been able to talk to family and friends. it's just terrible. i've heard that the three grocery markets that i go to in altadena almost on a daily basis, i'm sure all of them have burned down. when i go back home, i don't know where i'm going to shop at anymore. it's just a tragedy that something like this would be permitted to occur just affecting so many people and their lives. >> sandra: we know that so many who live in these areas are always prepared to a certain degree for what could happen. i'm sure you too and your family

also to the east around altadena. the eaton fire too will see those winds increasing again out of the north as we move forward into the weekend. we'll have the latest on the wind conditions in southern california and our own wind advisory in our bay area hills. coming up in a few minutes. okay. thank you. rob. this horrible situation playing out all week since tuesday. here are some of the latest numbers. the death toll stands at 11. more than 12,000 structures have burned in these wildfires. let's show you some of the detailed numbers. the last time the area was mapped, the palisades fire had burned more than 21,000 acres. but that number is likely going to be higher. now. it remains at 8% containment. the l.a. medical examiner says five people died in the palisades fire, and as many as 5000 structures there have burned. as for the eaton fire in altadena, the threat is not over there yet. not even close. it's now more than 14,000 acres. only 3% containment. the eaton fire, blamed for six deaths and about 7000 structu

— tell us what is happening in altadena? , ., ., ., altadena?ere is an area silence access _ altadena? if there is an area silence access the _ altadena? if there is an area silence access the site - altadena? if there is an area silence access the site of. silence access the site of their pasadena altadena fire. behind me is all that remains of what was once a wood framed family home. you can see, really, it isjust family home. you can see, really, it is just their staircase leading to what was the upper floor. staircase leading to what was the upperfloor. 0ver staircase leading to what was the upper floor. 0ver there staircase leading to what was the upperfloor. 0ver there is a family car that is completely burned out and there is not a property on the street that has not been either completely destroyed or very badly damaged. earliertoday, destroyed or very badly damaged. earlier today, another fire broke out, a fast moving fire broke out, a fast moving fire to the west of us here and that was swiftly brought under control after its spread to

we will hear from our reporters on the ground and speak to altadena resident and author peachy keenanose evacuated also tonight elon musk tells german voters to choose the hard right afd. trump's right hand man has been interviewing the afd's co leader alice weidel who told him germany's leaders are either stupid or they hate their country. and what does 2025 have in store, when it comes to articial intelligence. ai decoded coming up. good evening, the strong winds that have spread the catastophic wildfires across southern california are not going away yet. there are five major blazes now burning along the coast. extending the red flag warning. the palisades fire, which is now the most destructive in la history, has consumed more than 17,000 acres, that's roughly 27 square miles. it has destroyed at least 1,000 structures, and is entirely uncontained. the new blaze, is the sunset fire, which started last night in the hollywood hills and is now threatening the iconic landmarks around sunset boulevard. the size and strength of these fires matched only by the speed at which they spread.

that's in altadena. two largest fires are the palisades fire, which has burned more than 17,000 acres, and the eaton fire near pasadena. that's in also near altadena. it's burned more than 10,000 acres. about a thousand structures have been st in each of those fires.

the california national guard is in altadena tonight. governor newsom deployed about 400 troops to the area. they'll help with traffic control and protecting critical infrastructure. they'll also support law enforcement as they continue to crack down on looters. so far, 20 people have other news now, the sann to some francisco fire department has a new leader. tonight. san francisco mayor daniel lurie has now appointed a 34 year department veteran and a san francisco native to the department's top spot. nbc bay area's christie smith introduces us to him. i am honored and privileged to announce that i am appointing battalion chief dean crispin as fire chief of the san francisco fire department. just days after his own inauguration, mayor daniel lurie made the announcement at city hall this morning. department veteran dean crispin will lead san francisco's fire department. battalion chief crispin brings 34 years of distinguished service and unwavering commitment as a first responder and advocate for underserved populations. crispin was joi

one man who lost his home in altadena said that the community ran. donation drive has been a lifesaver. awful. lost the house. i lost my house. i'm just in shock still. yeah. diyou return home yesterday for the first time or did you hope to return home? i never left, i saw everything go down, i lost everything, burned down clothes, my e-bikes, my car, my truck. oh, that's so awful. so far, organizers say the effort has received thousands of donations of food, water, clothing, diapers, pet food. they also have dozens of volunteers working around the clock to organize the items that have been dropped off. so what if it happened here? the devastating fires down south have many bay area residents thinking about their own evacuation plans in the event of a similar disaster. we've had them for years past. how will they get notified quickly to evacuate? nbc bay area's jodi hernandez has that part of the story from the oakland hills. most of the people who died in the oakland hills fire was a result of the traffic jams. elizabeth stage nearly lost her home i

so some good news there in altadena.nwhile, mexico is lending its support in the wildfire battle in los angeles. more than 70 mexican firefighters and humanitarian workers touched down yesterday at lax. they also ought food and supply donations with them. they'll join the 14,000 firefighters, national guard members and officers already on the ground in la. governor newsom was on the runway to meet crews and thank mexico for the solidarity. firefighters on the ground have two big concerns the winds picking up again, creating the risk of flying embers and sparking new fires. teams from two bay area companies are in the fire zones using their technology to help our today in the bay, marianne favro reports. a san francisco company is providing monitors that can detect new fires within three minutes of sparking, while a san jose state researcher says his company is able to more accurately track the winds. together, they're hoping their innovations will provide critical information to fire crews as flames continue to rage thro

john sudworth, bbc news, altadena.es from across los angeles at 9:15 p.m., where the fires are still burning. a nighttime curfew in effect in the worst hit parts of la. we do now know that at least 11 people have died. police have warned against looting and criminality in those areas, abandoned by about 150,000 residents who are under that mandatory evacuation order. a reminder that we have a live page “p reminder that we have a live page up and running on the bbc news website, 24 hours a day at the moment, with the very latest from our correspondence across the region. you can scan the qr code on the right—hand side of your screen and that will take you directly to that live page with the very latest. we will return to the wildfires later. but first some of the rest of the news. donald trump has protested his innocence after he was handed the most lenient possible sentence for covering up hush money payments to an adult film star. he becomes the first us president to have a criminal record. 0ur north america editor sa

in fact, uh, pasadena and altadena together are known as la niÑa.and so, uh, we will work with residents from both communities, uh, to develop a plan for temporary housing and then transition people to permanent housing. um, and so we we've been very busy in pasadena. uh, i just want to say thank you to the various agencies from throughout california. uh, and, and the country who have helped out, who have responded and are helping out. and, of course, our national guard that is also helping out. >> pasadena mayor victor gordo, thank you so much. our hearts go out to you. i love the city of pasadena. so many people watch that rose parade every year. it is a beautiful sight and it's very hard to see what's happening there now. i appreciate your time. kate. >> yeah. even as that fire fight continues, the political fight has begun. the president elect, donald trump, criticizing california officials for their handling of this disaster. california's governor responding to say, come and see the emergency efforts for himself. also, president biden begins hi

we live in altadena and our children obviously live in altadena.o it's four generations of people living in altadena. this is home to us. we love it. and even though we suffered through this tragedy, we could not imagine leaving altadena. this is the only place we really know and love. um, we are rebuilding once the time is right. >> and for those of, you know, the people out there who don't know the history of altadena, this being the first middle class black community, um, and your plans to return and why it's rooted in this history and why it's so important for you and your family to come back? >> yes. um, the history of altadena is one of the a lot of southern california was redlined. so this was the only place that african-americans could stay. um, so it's very important to us. there's lots of families, three generations, four generations in the home. um, so when we were able to afford to buy or purchase a home, which we purchased our home during covid, during the pandemic, we once we got our money together, we made up our mind to buy a home.

mean to altadena residents? >> well, actually, the we're talking about two different types of funds. um, president biden did something very, very important. and that is approve 100% of the federal fire management grants. and i, i have to thank governor newsom because immediately they asked that washington, dc approve our area for these grants. normally, though, the coverage is 75%. but president biden did something wonderful in saying it would be 100%. uh, now, in terms of help for residents, that comes from fema. and that's why i was so insistent that the fema administrator come from washington, dc to our area of altadena and pasadena so she could see how this entire community has been devastated. and fema has a huge amount of resources that can help residents get back on their feet. i would encourage, in fact, everybody who is affected to go on to the disasterassistance.gov site and get the process going, input your information. also contact your insurance because what fema will do is assess where you are, wha

altadena i mean, are you suggesting that this was done somehow on purpose to hurt altadena? there are a lot of conspiracies out there. we heard something similar from mel gibson questioning whether the fires were purposely set. is that what you. is that what you mean? >> i am not suggesting arson. there are some initial investigations about if there was an electrical fire that started this in a tower. but what we do know is that power was shut off in altadena. what we do know is that residents were not given adequate time to leave their homes. i've been talking to residents who lost everything in altadena. some of them were only able to leave with the bathrobe that they had on. i talked to someone, she said. when she was finally able to come home, she saw the bones of four of her kids huddled up together, dead because she was not able to get the time that she needed to leave, and the power had been shut off and water had been delayed in getting to the residents of altadena. so we do want to know what happened in the city of altadena. >> yeah, congresswoman, the power was shu

eaton fire in the altadena neighbourhood is just 3% contained. hear from our correspondent in altadena injust a moment, but first to emma vardy who is on the pacific coast highway for us now. today, firefighters have made progress in some areas, put new fires are still breaking out and as the palisades fire continues to rage above us, local volunteers are trying to help. a fourth gruelling day holding the line in the face of la's inferno. as tens of thousands of acres continue to burn.- of acres continue to burn. right, ou of acres continue to burn. right, you guys on _ of acres continue to burn. right, you guys on radio, _ of acres continue to burn. right, you guys on radio, we'll- of acres continue to burn. right, you guys on radio, we'll meet i of acres continue to burn. right, | you guys on radio, we'll meet you cite some communities have taken the disaster response into their own hands. in topanga canyon, with fires burning all around, a group of locals calling themselves the heat hawks have sprung into action. initially everyone felt a bit

you know, which is right next to that altadena fire.te you to stay with us for the latest on air and online. our website, a great resource for breaking news. and we are posting updates to nbcbayarea.com around the clock. okay, back in 60s. ahead a big decision. first day on the job, the immediate change san francisco's new mayor just made. and you might see the signs warning that it's about to happen. a new plan to crack down on rv encampments in san jose. temperatures managed to reach the 70s in several spots today. right now, we're in the 50s. we'll take a closer look at what the overnight hours are going to roll through as far as temperatur, and a look as the nation paused to honor and remember former president jimmy carter. his funeral was held today at the national cathedral. all five living presidents attended, along with dignitaries from around the world and members of the carter family. president biden delivered the eulogy, describing his friend as a man of faith, character and service to make every minute of our time here on ea

yeah. >> do you come back to altadena? do you stay in altadena or. >> yeah. i mean, i grew up around here. i grew up in san gabriel valley. um, so we're not too far. and the plan of now is we want to be back. and i think that's the the feeling of most everyone on the street. yeah. oh, this is the baby grand that we had. you can see there's a piano. yes. this is where we had our baby grand. you can see the the metal. oh the strings with the you see the strings. >> yep. >> oh my gosh. i mean, you see fire every day, right? you see destroyed destruction every day. but how is it different now that it's your own life? >> yeah, it's i don't know, it's just. undescribable. i mean, you know, when we go to a house fire, you kind of detach, you know, and you just sort of do what's best for the homeowner, and you put the fire out, and we kind of salvage what we can. we pull what we can from them, and hopefully some of their stuff make it. but this is just just gone. >> looking for his wedding ring. >> what's that? what's that? gold. what's that? what's that? let me see.

the community of altadena as we know it, carl, is forever changed, and as of now, we are all altadena and helping them. but on the ground it's devastating. so many tears have been shed between all of us and as a community we are hurting. yeah, we've just been seeing so many devastating images coming out of altadena. for the people there, for the residents who lost their homes, where are people finding shelter? how are they dealing now with this disaster and really in just the next days and weeks to come? right now there are formal evacuation centres that have been set up but let's be honest, carl, most people are going to friends and family members, sleeping in their cars and trying to do whatever they can to get the help immediately with friends and family and i think that going forward we are going to see weeks and months and even years where people are going to feel displaced, but the message and really the reality is at the statewide level, at the federal level, we are going to do everything we can to bring resources here and we will have a plan and we will rebuild and altadena wi

also to the east around altadena. the eaton fire too will see those winds increasing again out of the north as we move forward into the weekend. we'll have the latest on the wind conditions in southern california and our own wind advisory in our bay area hills. coming up in a few minutes. okay. thank you. rob. this horrible situation playing out all week since tuesday. here are some of the latest numbers. the death toll stands at 11. more than 12,000 structures have burned in these wildfires. let's show you some of the detailed numbers. the last time the area was mapped, the palisades fire had burd more than 21,000 acres. but that number is likely going to be higher. now. it remains at 8% containment. the l.a. medical examiner says five people died in the palisades fire, and as many as 5000 structures there have burned. as for the eaton fire in altadena, the threat is not over there yet. not even close. it's now more than 14,000 acres. only 3% containment. the eaton fire, blamed for six deaths and about 7000 structure

she lived at her altadena home alone.hat tuesday night, her only son was there to drive her to safety. but i only grabbed three tops and no bottoms because it got really frightening. i couldn't even think. zetta lived at 263 poppy fields drive since the mid 1970s, when only parts of altadena were open for people of color to buy homes because of the discriminatory practice of redlining. she planted roots there. literally old photos from the garden and backyard barbecues. but she knows now their memories of the barbecue stand. and he said, there it is. the cars, the truck. it's gone. everything's gone. this is what she saw the following morning. two, six, three burned to the ground. my sister and i visited every weekend, went to church with grandma every weekend, and that was my dad's childhood home. keenan, who was just at the home that sunday, was told by her grandma to head back to san francisco for her own safety. i can't even imagine how she feels. and i don't know, i just want to do whatever i can to help her. she and

and the fire near altadena. that one is raging too.re's quite a few embers flowing around as we saw in that video. i mean, there's no stopping it. once that fire makes contact with a house, it's just going up there just on the defense trying to keep it if they can, from spreading to the next neighborhood. and look at these winds here. top gusts in california, san gabriel mountains, 97mph. malibu 85. burbank airport down in the valley, 83mph. chino hills 74. and this wasn't just a one time thing. we've seen several hours on end here of wind gusts like this in southern california. so extreme wind there for us. we did get in on 64mph here in saint helena. i did want to show you again, if you have friends or family in southern california, the high wind warnings, fire warnings go until 6 p.m. tomorrow. we should see some improvement by late tomorrow night, but right now, no big rain chances the next two weeks. now, when it comes to the bay area, we're still focusing in on some strong gus at mount saint helena 58 and mount diablo 62. most of

and yeah, we've got a lot of those in altadena, a lot of them.ut we've also got community members who were victims of redlining back in the day who found altadena as a sanctuary for living there, as basically a large and burgeoning black community, historically black community. and some of the folks who are displaced now, they have nothing, probably couldn't afford homeowner's insurance or renters insurance or didn't have it. i'm very fortunate to have had amazing insurance, but we have all kinds of people, um, a quirky art community dedicated nonprofit people. uh, it's really a vibrant community and one that i personally have worked in to develop a sense of community. and over the last decade or so, really a rich history there. >> and, you know, take me back to earlier last week where you were when the alert was first. um, you know, sent out to people that they needed to evacuate. and what were your thoughts at the time? >> so i'll tell you, i managed to, uh, pre alert, if you will. um, because my neighbor had been over in hawaii for over a mont

we now go live to katie nielsen in altadena. we understand the california national guard is now there to help with security. >> reporter: they are, ryan. as you can probably imagine, folks here still very much on edge just because you do have situations like these where there is nothing to loot here at these homes. everything is gone, but just behind it there is a home still standing. so that is why the california national guard is here helping with that security. all of the major streets are blocked off either by police or guardsmen and as we're in these neighborhoods hearing from some of the people who chose to stay behind, we're hearing stories after stories of neighbors helping neighbors. >> i emptied that thing out. >> reporter: doug rogers stayed behind wednesday morning during the worst of the firestorm in altadena desperate to save his house. >> i saw embers flying and little fire starting and we had no water pressure. i knew i had a spa. so i carried as many buckets as i could as long as i could and just kept fighting.

uh altadena. the reason that we ended up with so many african americans in altadena was because pasadena would not allow black people to live or dwell in pasadena, so the servants, uh, in pasadena, uh, all the african american servants, they bought them houses and altadena to live separately because there was no redlining, uh, for black people to live in altadena during that, during that time. so for that reason is why we have so many african americans in altadena. um, and when it comes to this housing and me, us losing so much as a community because we're very tight knit community, um, diverse community, but strong african american community, uh, community. and when these taxes come, um, i'm so worried about, uh, being, uh, the taxes being reassessed because now these are complete. uh, wipe out, uh, demolition to all these different homes. so people being able to afford the taxes if we need to be grandfathered in to make sure that we're not blackballed out the system and, and, and gentrified out

we welcome our friends from altadena. reverend mitchell young, offering support to a longtime friend. whether it's times of struggle or times of joy, we need to be together. radina. chaney. lay. torri. hallelujah. the halpin family singing hymns amongst the ruins of where their home once stood. among the items salvaged, a small statue of the virgin mary. hallelujah. for the altadena church family, the first step forward, presenting their beloved pastor with new clergy, stoles, symbols of renewal and hope. after the fire took his. what do you want them leaving the service today knowing. don't give up. church is not a building. we are the church. it will rise from the ashes once again. come and. feel. your. land. morgan chesky, nbc news, los angeles. we have another story for you about ordinary people stepping up in a big way to help. first responders and fire victims. the owner of the food truck, tacos to ten, went up and down the evacuation line in altadena today, offering firefighters, police and residents free food. he

la quinata flintridge is just up from altadena. no structures were damaged in this area we're in, but they're trying to prevent that from happening because if the winds really pick up, if something were to ignite on the hills right behind these homes, that would spell disaster for this entire area. so they are really doing everything they can to stop that from happening. they only have so many hours until we're expecting those winds to really pick back up. >> still nervous times. thank you for your live report. we'll see you in the 7:00 hour as well. thank you. >>> first alert weather powered by kia. learn more at kia.com. kia, movement that inspires. >> let's get to zoe mint now. i can't help but cross my fingers and hope it's going to be a calm night. >> once the winds get above 30 miles an hour any attacks from the air when it comes to water drops basically become inefficient. hopefully it stays quiet at least the next couple hours. by early tomorrow morning we are expecting the winds to pick up for southern california. for us i

in altadena today desolation and eerie silence punctured by gas lines still spewing fire. in the destruction there was a search for anything with meaning. >> this is everything you own. >> everything. and then you know, now we're just trying to find something. i mean, i don't care like my kid found a teacup, half a teacup. broke. she was thrilled. you know? i mean, what else can we get, man? it's gone, bro. >> reporter: as the flames descended at 4:00 in the morning, rupert garcia tried to fight back. >> this tree caught on fire. embers were flying all over the place onto the house. >> reporter: one ember even scorching his cheek. >> at what point did you realize that like i'm not going to save the house? >> when my son-in-law grabbed me like this and said no, we've got to go. >> wow. >> and i was like no, man. i turned around, i can't go, bro. 51 years, man, i've been in this house. >> reporter: shortly after rupert was forced to flee the neighborhood we arrived to find what felt like a hurricane of fire. in the chaos we spotted a horse alone and trapped in an inferno and

right here on this corner in altadena. the terrible fact is, most of the houses have already burned. only a handful remain in sight. right now. the damage is done. los angeles county has set up a website for people to check on the state of their homes. all those red houses you see in the map, there are almost too many to count. there are homes and buildings that have sustained more than 50% damage. inspectors from cal fire are doing the damage assessment. this is video they shared on social media of a damage inspection team doing their work in neighborhoods across the fire zone. they're trying to assess with each structure exactly the the nature of the damage. we spent the day, though, with search and rescue teams looking for the remains of anyone who may have died. the death toll stands at 25, but the fear which l.a. county sheriff robert luna expressed on the program last night, is that more victims may still be discovered. here's what my team and i saw today. while firefighters in the mountains look for hotspots in alta

it's near altadena and has burned at least 400 acres. there are evacuation orders for nearby pasadena. the palisades fire moved so fast, people literally had to make a run for it to evacuate, and that meant ditching their car. >> the smoke just got really bad. so i just started packing up all of our stuff, and we got in the car to go, and then all the cars were abandoned, so i had nowhere to go. so i just had to get out of my car and start walking. the smoke is so bad i don't i have no idea where we're going. >> more than 30,000 people are under an evacuation order because of the palisades fire, and that now includes parts of santa monica. let's get to reporter nico kousouris watching building after building burn in past pacific palisades. >> just devastating palisades high school. we have confirmed just about 15 minutes ago there was a firefighter. that's one of their concerns. but so is the palisades playhouse, which is right across the street that has also burned down. they said their main focus right now is to evacuate the people tha

you're altadena, 3%.ight direction, but of course just such a long way from being under control. helena, as adults, difficult to really take in the extent of this, let alone a young child, and ijust wonder as this, let alone a young child, and i just wonder as you've spoken to other people today, do you feel that they are in a state of limbo, a state of shock, or are they thinking in terms of practical matters, the question of talking to insurers, what they do next, do they rebuild, although sorts of questions?— questions? they are doing all of those things, _ questions? they are doing all of those things, they're - of those things, they're speaking to insurers, they are have been some difficult days for some people because recently some insurance was separated out into notjust getting insurance for natural disasters but it having to be separate for earthquakes, for hurricanes, for wildfires and so on, so that is a fresh headache for them, but when you asked him the question of, what is next, how do you r

nbc's gina kim has the latest from altadena.here in altadena, the site of the eaton fire, a curfew is now in effect. that means police and sheriff's department deputies are able to arrest anyone who gets near fire zones all throughout southern california. today, firefighters were able to make a little bit of progress in the fire thanks to less winds and higher humidity. having said that, the numbers remain staggering. we have more than 12,000 structures. these are homes and businesses that are expected to have been damaged or destroyed in all of the fires combined here in southern california, including this church that you see behind me. you see this over and over again here in altadena. these numbers are expected to change, as is the number of deceased. currently we have 11 confirmed deaths. but as fire officials move from fighting the fire to assessing the fire, that number is also expected to go up. the santa ana winds have not left us. we are expecting more winds. in fact, three more santa ana events in the week to come. so

the eaton fire near the foothills communities of altadena and pasadena, only 3% contained.ore than 7,000 structures there damaged or destroyed. the death toll between the two fires now at least eleven. in the fire zones, people who days ago were literally running for their lives, are now returning to smoldering communities, hoping their homes will be the exception, the one standing amid the destruction. tonight destroyed communities anxious to know what's next, also questioning how things were allowed to get so out of control. let's start once again with tom llamas from l.a. >> reporter: the fire fight in california now in day four. today we saw firsthand how homeowners continue to face the wildfires head on. >> topanga is there. if we burn, topanga burns. we need to stop this. >> reporter: using water hoses, shovels and sprinklers, these residents have been fighting for days. you're sweating, you're covered in water and dirt, why are you doing this? >> because there's a whole community behind us, and if we go, they go. >> reporter: with firefighters on the ground and the w

so let's traverse on over to the altadena area. now for the eaton fire.in, 50 degrees with wind gusts up to 22mph. other notable numbers. at this time, the winds are backing off and they will remain so in the overnight hours. but still, with those gusts, we picked up new blazes here. you got to keep in mind, this is the plume, this is the fire. and then we have those embers that get caught up in those wind gusts and land underneath the eaves of homes. those red areas are very significant. so again, we have a red flag warning in effect until 6:00 friday night that has been extended. now we have an air quality alert until 1215 on friday morning with the red flag warning. more strong winds are in the forecast, especially beginning again tomorrow night, and the dry air will drop down to 8% relative humidity. more updates coming up in a matter of minutes. >> all right. thank you, roberta. and we want to go now to ktvu tom vacar, who is live near the palisades fire for us, giving us a look at what the situation looks like at this hour. tom. >> i want to illustr

club, as well as the pasadena jewish temple, altadena community church and altadena mosque.the whole area has been devastated, and i can't walk even a few feet without running into somebody who has lost their home. that's how bad this is, because i'm getting a lot of calls from ministers and people around the country on what they can do. >> altadena is a large black community there. there's a synagogue in pasadena. what kind of assistance is most needed in your communities right now? >> well, i have to tell you, i've been also visiting the donation distribution sites, and they have just popped up everywhere. and people have been so generous by donating goods. water is a particular issue because there is a drinking alert that is in pasadena and altadena. people are told not to drink out of the tap because of possible contamination. so water bottles are going up. but actually so many people just ran out of their house with nothing, just with the clothes on their back. so they have absolutely nothing. so toiletries, clothes, food, all of those items are very, very necessary for