our abc news exclusive tonight, the view from above as we travel with cal fire. we were in the air late today as crews were dropping the water on topanga canyon below as they try to save homes in fernwood. the palisades fire the biggest by size, more than 20,000 acres now. home after home, street after street turned to ashes. 8% contained at this hour. new fires continue to flare up. tonight the eaton fire in altadena and pasadena now the most destructive in l.a. history, believed to have destroyed more than 7,000 structures. homes and businesses. just 3% contained. 24 hours ago the kenneth fire erupting in west hills, burning over 1,000 acres in just a matter of hours here. 8,000 firefighters and emergency personnel now deployed, including the national guard. firefighters from all over the country stepping in, but most live right here, working around the clock in horrific conditions. some losing their own homes. they are the real heroes here. and tonight, the questions now being asked about decisions made early on in these fires. >>> we do begin with our flight w

according to cal fire's fire fighting union, more than 30 cal fire employees could lose their jobs as a result of the move. >> absolutely opposed to the idea that 30 plus firefighters who have served our community with courage, distinction and distinction could be replaced by an annexation idea. that is confusing, dangerous, expensive, expensive, and reduces community protection. >> county leaders say the decision has nothing to do with the quality of the firefighters, but leaders feel that budget constraints at the state level have resulted in a lower level of service. supervisors say the south county fire district has been losing money, and the county has already been directly supplementing the cal fire contract is at stake. >> here is the viability. can can they continue to provide the services that they they committed to? and what we have seen is that no. >> county leaders also see it as an equity issue, saying that they want all county residents to receive the same level of emergency response. still unanswered, though, at today's meeting is the specific procedure for the county t

today, the county board of supervisors voted to end a contract with cal fire and put fire service under direct control of the county. ktvu is mark sayer was at that supervisors meeting and joins us from san jose. so, mark, what does this mean? this move actually mean for the residents? >> while claudine, first of all, county supervisors emphasized that this decision has nothing to do with the quality of cal fire firefighters, nothing but praise for the actual firefighters. but they did say that they are concerned that problems with the budget at the state level has resulted in a lower level of service than the county itself feels it can provide. southern santa clara county is prone to wildfires, with wide expanses of open land. currently, residents outside of the main cities of gilroy and morgan hill belong to what is called the south santa clara county fire district, seen on this map in green, which contracts with cal fire for service. >> the significance is that they don't have to worry whether cal fire is going to have enough money to help them out when there's a fire, or when there

and i urge that you vote no on this issue. >> according to the cal fire firefighters union, over 30 cal fire employees could lose their jobs as a result of the move. >> i'm absolutely opposed to the idea that 40, 30 plus firefighters who have served our community with courage, distinction and distinction could be replaced by an annexation idea that is confusing, dangerous, expensive and reduces community protection. >> supervisors say the south county fire district has been losing money, and the county has already been directly supplementing the cal fire contract. >> what is at stake here is the viability. can they continue to provide the services that they they committed to? and what we have seen is that no county leaders also see it as an equity issue, saying they want all county residents to receive the same level of emergency response. >> cal fire continues to be a critical partner, not only in the south county, but across our region, both through direct services and mutual aid and seeing what's going on in los angeles. the amount of work that the cal fire has done is nothing less t

cal fire says this is now the second largest fire in la county. it's burned 14,000 acres. 3% contained. this sparked tuesday evening while winds in the area were gusting at more than 100 miles per hour. and finally, an update of the largest blaze in the area. the palisades fire. new scary video shows what appears to be a fire tornado spinning over a mountain side. cal fire data says these massive flames burned more than 21,000 acres. it's now 8% contained more than 150,000 la county residents remain under evacuation orders. well, maybe hard to look at, but this is what some people in la county are waking up to. homes burned down, cars, charred and businesses turned to ash reporter alina abovian spoke to neighbors in malibu dealing with this devastation. >> it's gone but walking through what's left of his malibu home. ryan bassford thinking back to his memories here. i tend to say that in life and now i'm tested have the same philosophy. really feel bad for the kids who lost or stuff. >> the firefighters are working hard his home is one of dozens a

cal fire says while that fire is now the fire did not grow hills, substantially today. an overhead survey estimates more than 7000 structures have been destroyed. fire crews have made good progress on the kenneth fire that burned about 1000 acres near the la ventura county border. it broke out in the west hills area thursday afternoon. the latest update shows the fire is 35% contained. all evacuations have been lifted. governor newsom got another firsthand look at the damage in the pacific palisades today. he invited president elect donald trump to join him in southern california. despite trump's ongoing criticism of newsom's leadership. >> i want him to visit and understand the magnitude of this scope. what happened to the american people that happened to reside here in california and to the governor, said that he has also asked for an investigation into why fire hydrants ran dry during the height of the fires. >> the governor called the loss of water pressure and reports that water from a local reservoir was unavailable, deeply troubling. >> these systems obviously ar

this is a map from cal fire, and it shows this is malibu right here. and this is santa monica right here. and so this is where the fire zone is right in between. now these colors are the evacuation zones. so yellow means that these folks need to be ready to flee at a moment's notice. and red that means mandatory evacuations. so those are underway right now with no immediate threat to life. the fire zone here is outlined in this red area. it is now at about 1300 acres. let's show you some time lapse, really, of how this all went down. this is video of the massive plume of smoke. it could be seen from miles away, rising over the santa monica mountains. firefighters have been scrambling to corral this fast moving flames and this fast moving fire in the hillside. they just held a press conference within the last hour, and the l.a. fire chief talked about their response efforts and what is making this fire so difficult to contain. >> the fire is being fueled by a combination of strong winds and surrounding topography, which is making it extremely challenging

cal fire official share that while aircraft are playing a key role in helping stop the spread of fires. the wind alert does pose challenges. >> the problem is, is. when you have a sub state over 40 miles an hour is the issue. the problem is the gop's. so the peek in and the aircraft limitations or capabilities are then limited based on the approach and departures as well as chief mentioned, the accuracy. so the usually each aircraft will have that limitation based on the manufacturer's recommendation. and then as far as the safety component, usually the limiting factors gusts over 30 miles an hour. >> and there is now this. a lawsuit filed today against southern edison claims of the utility's equipment sparking fire. not addison has acknowledged a fire agencies are investigating whether its equipment may have started a smaller fire. >> that sparked the same day. the official cause of the fire has not been determined. reporting in the newsroom. theresa stasi, back to teresa. thank you. >> we'll talk about the forecast right now that firefighters facing in. well us and us. here's a live

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buddies back from back home are down here, but they're just keeping busy port carlos or to with cal fire czu. it's a song bird reunion seeing his bay area colleagues battling the worst set of fires. the state has seen. >> in a couple of years. and then this is what we call over. zoom or test shows us the staging area for cal fire trailers for interviews, press conferences and meetings. he's very much like a miniature city port is job is going to grocery stores or wherever people congregate and give them vital information to keep themselves safe. and about the next face. now that the fires are just starting to get under control was a fire runs through. it's important for us to be able to give the right information for the people when they start to repopulate. so everything gets done right in orderly fashion. and that next phase includes coming home for thousands, knowing many of those won't have a home to return to it all. >> it's like the national guard and dozens of fire departments all helping the cause. the damage here will be felt for generations. the unknowns are up. >> pretty scary

county that that cal fire can learn from indigenous communities attempts to prevent fires from, like, happening like this? >> you know, i think they're both cal fire and l.a. county. i think they're going to evaluate their communities. and, you know, and they're basically their infrastructures and ensure that these things do not happen again. um, you know, for us and for indigenous people, you know, like controlled burning as you reference has been used for thousands of years. um, usually in landscapes that are in very rural wui areas, the wild urban interface areas. so not really where we have a lot of development and, and housing and commercial development. so, you know, it's hard to speak in behalf of cal fire and l.a. and what they need to do. but but indigenous people for many, many years have used fire as a tool to remove fuels. and here at pechanga, we we also do some things unique. we have what's called a fuels management crew. that crew is on full time and that crew basically goes and supports multiple facets of batangas needs and clearing, uh, fuel around our residence. our

cal fire says yesterday's calmer winds helped them gain ground. is now 15% contained but still threatens nearly 40,000 structures. meanwhile, the palisades fire storm continues to grow ferociously, now gaining ground east with the potential to threaten the 405 freeway and bel air. there were new evacuations ordered yesterday for encino and brentwood. and actually, this is a live look from our storm ranger down in los angeles over what looks to be the mandeville canyon near pacific palisades. evacuation warnings are now in place for malibu and even calabasas. more than 23,000 acres burned in the palisades fire.hat's nearly 36mi■!s. crews have that 11% contained. so let's check in now with cinthia pimentel, who has a look at our microclimate forecast. but you're also tracking the weather in los anles. so many people have connections down there. exactly. that's why we want to keep a close eye on it and bring people the latest information. those winds around 10 to 20 miles an hour. but it's the gusts that continue to be out of the north, anywhere from

the helitack chopper from the santa clara cal fire unit is one of many resources sent to l.a. county. one of the pilots shot these pictures today of the fires. and from this aerial view, you can see why communities are physically and emotionally devastated. but people from the bay area and around the state are trying to help. a firefighter from the santa clara, cal fire unit, chelsea burkett, sent us these pictures of the expanded emergency center in los angeles as she helps with the massive support effort to make it easier to comprehend. she compared it to preparing for camping. you're like, okay, i got to make sure i have food for the week. i need to have like, i need to have all the clothes that are going to be appropriate for the type of weatherhat's there. i need to make sure i have flashlights and batteries, and i need some kind of structure that's going to help protect me. take that concept of all those different pieces you would think you would need for that, and then just expand it, you know, for hundreds of people. the santa clara fire unit has sent the chopper, six e

ken pimlott, retired director at cal fire. ularly wealthy neighbourhood, and celebrities have been reacting. among those directly affected is paris hilton — who said she is heartbroken beyond words, writing, "sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing "our home in malibu burn to the ground on live tv "is something no one should ever have to experience." actor billy crystal also lost his home. he and his wife released a statement saying words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation they are witnessing and experiecing. they said they ache for others who have also lost homes and businesses. mandy moore, star of television series �*this is us�*, was one of the thousands forced to flea her home. she shared her gratitude on instagram for getting her family and pets out to safety and to friends for taking them in. guardians of galaxy star chris pratt appealed for people to send prayers and strength to everyone affected by these devastating fires in a post on instagram. khloe kardashian shared her reaction and devast

cal fire official share that while aircraft are playing a key role in helping stop the spread of fires. the wind alert does pose challenges. the problem is, is. >> when you have a sub state over 40 miles an hour is the issue. the problem is the gop's. so the peek in and the aircraft limitations or capabilities are then limited based on the approach and departures as well as chief mentioned, the drop accuracy. so the usually each aircraft will have that limitation based on the manufacturer's recommendation. and then as far as the safety component, usually the limiting factors gusts over 30 miles an hour. and there is this. a lawsuit filed on monday against southern california edison claiming that the utilities. >> equipment sparked the eaton representative from madison acknowledge that fire agencies are looking into whether there was any kind of connection between the eaton fire and the utility's equipment. but right now there is no cause actually been determined about the start of that fire in the newsroom. theresa kron, 4 news. >> and as this afternoon, tens of thousands of people wer

>> look, chief, i think everyone can appreciate what cal fire is worried about right now is just getting fire out. not about about any maybe issues leading up to it, but has cal fire established if water issues, especially in the pacific palisades, hampered or hurt your ability to fight the fire early on? >> well, you're right, it's going to take some time to figure out. but from the point of view of physics, right. so if they have a number of million gallon tanks up there, that's going to last for a while. imagine your garden hose. if you get 2 or 3 pinholes in your garden hose, let's say from structure fires in the area, it's going to hold up. but with 5 or 10,000 structures destroyed, if you have 5000 or 10,000 holes in your garden hose, you're not going to be able to maintain pressure. >> when you i mean, your crews are out there now and you're not going to stop, obviously, until you can have full containment. does cal fire have everything it needs to contain these fires and to continue to bring these fires under control? >> well, as we begin to look at containment and let's not forg

brent with cal fire says it's all hands on deck to fight the palisades fire with crews from all over the state down in pacific. palisades crews from sonoma lake napa, amador eldorado, butte county, nevada, yuba placer. monterey. >> santa cruz, a lot of units came down to reap preposition those wind event. >> and you can see behind me it was needed. >> the santa ana winds wreaking havoc tuesday morning sparking this fire around 10, 30, forcing thousands to evacuate to our palisades and topanga community under evacuation order. please leave this causing a mass exodus out of the area with some people having to abandon their cars to run to safety. crews had to use a bulldozer to move the cars out of the way for firefighters, their families up their their pets up there. there are people who really need help. actor steve guttenberg lives in the area. he jumped into action, moving cars and helping others evacuate course. you know, we've got a huge fire up there. we've got huge winds right now. it's really important for people to help each other. we still don't know the exact number of homes

brent with cal fire says it's all hands on deck to fight the palisades fire with crews from all over the state down in pacific. palisades crews from sonoma lake napa, amador eldorado, butte county, nevada, yuba placer. monterey. >> santa cruz, a lot of units came down to greet preposition those wind event. >> and you can see behind me it was needed. >> the santa ana winds wreaking havoc tuesday morning sparking this fire around 10, 30, forcing thousands to evacuate to our palisades and topanga community under evacuation order. please leave this causing a mass exodus out of the area with some people having to abandon their cars to run to safety. crews had to use a bulldozer to move the cars out of the way for firefighters, their families up their their pets up there. there are people who really need help. actor steve guttenberg lives in the area. he jumped into action, moving cars and helping others evacuate course. you know, we've got a huge fire up there. we've got huge winds right now. it's really important for people to help each other. we still don't know the exact number of home

cal fire says it's now 89% contained after burning nearly 800 acres. e los angeles times is reporting fire agencies are investigating whether a downed power line may have caused the hearst fire. southern california edison said friday a downed conductor was found near the fire, but said it's unclear if it happened before or after that fire started. >> all right, let's bring in our chief meteorologist, bill martin. red flag warning. unfortunately, it is back. >> yeah, it's back through wednesday, mike. and the real story here is la reine. they haven't had any. lax is at about 1% of its average rainfall for this time of year. marin county is at about 180% of its rainfall for this time of year. it has been exceedingly record dry in this region. and then you add these winds. and the other day when the fire started, those were record winds. but the winds continue to keep coming and no rain in sight. this is the story with the red flag warning through wednesday. the red flag warning stays in effect. winds are relatively light right now. this is out by the eato

these are trained by cal fire to buy supplemental fighting capability. in the role in coordinating federal response is actively planning and preparing capabilities and resources working with fema the state of california to provide support in a short unified response. >> thank you very much. do you know if they've got their orders of what you're talking about the other day, you know if they've been cut? >> we are actively preparing and standing by to support the state of california as they request i believe they were active duty in the 500 personnel that would be going considered active duty. i think i gather all your questions. >> an example of the collective. l.a. or cal fire requested aside from national guard, is that the best way to nationalize it? >> we search these abilities immediately at the request the president and no space 500 abilities but it is a combination and working with fema which would be the response. about this question why aren't you watching this right away as they request abilities, we are standing by the state and the government

i'm frank mallicoat and we begin on this saturday with the very latest numbers from cal fire and the fire disaster down south in l.a. county. the palisades fire has now burned more than 21,000 acres. it is currently 8% contained. firefighters say there were flare ups overnight in palisades that forced a new round of evacuations and altadena. the fire has now burned more than 14,000 acres there and that is only 3% contained. firefighters say the forward progress in the fire has now been stopped. and firefighters also making some progress on the kenneth fire near the ventura county border. it is 50% contained and all evacuation orders have been lifted. police say a suspect has also been detained and the blaze is being investigated as possible. arson and evacuation orders have also been lifted on the hearst fire that is in the san fernando valley. it is now 70% contained. that fire has burned more than 770 acres. >> well, these fires in the los angeles area are now on track to be the costliest in u.s. history. the death toll has climbed to 11, with roughly 150,000 people still under mand

buddies back from back home are down here, but they're just keeping busy port carlos or to with cal fire. it's a song bird reunion seeing his bay area colleagues battling the worst set of fires. the state has seen. >> in a couple of years. and then this is what we call over. zoom or test shows us the staging area for cal fire trailers for interviews, press conferences and meetings. he's very much like a miniature city port is job is going to grocery stores or wherever people congregate and give them vital information to keep themselves safe. >> and about the next face, now that the fires are just starting to get under control was a fire runs through. it's important for us to be able to give the right information for the people when they start to repopulate. so everything gets done right in orderly fashion. and that next phase includes coming home for thousands, knowing many of those won't have a home to return to it all. >> it's like the national guard and dozens of fire departments all helping the cause. the damage here will be felt for generations. the unknowns are up. >> pretty scary.

brent with cal fire says it's all hands on deck to fight the palisades fire with crews from all over the state down in pacific. palisades crews from sonoma lake napa, amador eldorado, butte county, nevada, yuba placer. monterey. >> santa cruz, a lot of units came down to reap preposition those wind event. >> and you can see behind me it was needed. >> the santa ana winds wreaking havoc tuesday morning sparking this fire around 10, 30, forcing thousands to evacuate to our palisades and topanga community under evacuation order. please leave this causing a mass exodus out of the area with some people having to abandon their cars to run to safety. crews had to use a bulldozer to move the cars out of the way for firefighters, their families up their their pets up there. there are people who really need help. actor steve guttenberg lives in the area. he jumped into action, moving cars and helping others evacuate course. you know, we've got a huge fire up there. we've got huge winds right now. it's really important for people to help each other. we still don't know the exact number of homes

buddies back from back home are down here, but they're just keeping busy port carlos or to with cal fire czu. it's a song bird reunion seeing his bay area colleagues battling the worst set of fires. the state has seen. >> in a couple of years and then this is what we call over. zoom or test shows us the staging area for cal fire trailers for interviews, press conferences and meetings. he's very much like a miniature city port is job is going to grocery stores or wherever people congregate and give them vital information to keep themselves safe. >> and about the next face, now that the fires are just starting to get under control was a fire runf through. it's important for us to be able to give the right information for the people when they start to repopulate. so everything gets done right in orderly fashion. and that next phase includes coming home for thousands, knowing many of those won't have a home to return to it all. >> it's like the national guard and dozens of fire departments all helping the cause. the damage here will be felt for generations. the unknowns are up. >> pretty sca

the latest numbers here from cal fire show that the palisades fire has burned more than 21,000 acres and is 8% contained. the fire has killed at least two people here and destroyed more than 4000 structures. excuse me? 5000 structures. and tonight, the palisades fire is flaring up. authorities have expanded evacuation orders to include neighborhoods west of the 405 freeway, including the getty center and the encino hills. firefighters say while winds have weakened, the dry humidity is making the firefight challenging. meanwhile, in altadena, the eaton fire remains challenging as well. that fire has burned more than 14,000 acres and is only 3% contained tonight, cal fire says while the fire is now burning in dry, steep hillsides, the fire did not grow substantially today and overheard overhead survey estimates more than 7000 structures have been destroyed. >> fire crews have made good progress on the kenneth fire that burned about 1000 acres near the los angeles ventura county border. it broke out in the west hills area thursday afternoon. the latest update shows the fire is 35% conta

and north bay cal fire crews battling the eaton fire. the aircraft tracking app they've set up in la that allows you pete g. writes, "my tween wants a new phone. how do i not break the bank?" we got you, pete. xfinity mobile was designed to save you money and gives you access to wifi speeds up to a gig. so you get high speeds for low prices. better than getting low speeds for high prices. right, bruce? -jealous? yeah, look at that. -honestly. someone get a helmet on this guy. xfinity internet customers, ask how to get an unlimited line free for a year, plus a free 5g phone. today's cancer research is tomorrow's victory. a victory that is there for the taking. grab it. now that was a great halftime speech. let's go win. [jim valvano] don't give up. don't ever give up® calistoga and solano are all working together to get it under control. the sonoma lake napa unit of calfire has set up an aircraft tracking system in la to see water drops in real time. you can see those little white spots on your screen just moving around. those are helicop

abc news exclusive tonight, a view from above traveling with cal fire. were in the air as they dropped water on topanga canyon below, trying to save fernwood. palisades fire, more than 20,000 acres, home after home turned into ashes. 8% contained. new fires flare up, this breaking out late today. and eaton fire in pasadena and altadena is the most instructive in l.a. history, just 3% contained. kenneth fire erupting and burning a thousand acres in just a matter of hours, personnel are now deployed, including the national guard. firefighters from all over the country are stepping in, but most live here, some losing their own homes. now the questions asked about decisions made early on in the fires. we begin with our flight with cal fire over the devastation and fires still burning as we come on the air in the west on this third night from california. tonight the abc news exclusive, we take fight, headed to the pacific palisades. the coastline, homes of malibu, are now gone. you can see it over the shoulder, home after home completely gone. >> a firefight

according cal fire. the deadly eaton fire burning near altadena is now responsible for more than 13,000 acres burned. it's still 0% contained. it's part of tuesday evening. while winds in the area were gusting at more than 100 miles per hour. this is new video of the mountains covered in smoke given us a much better look at just how large the fire is. one woman who lost her home to the fire says they're just trying pick up the pieces. now. >> people are kind of like a what we do next. we do next. like again, there's some people without housing. housing starts at don't home insurance. don't know what to do. so i think this is a direction to know which way to turn, which way to go. what do we do next >> now let's talk about largest fire burning in los angeles county, cal fire saying the massive palisades fire has now burned nearly 20,000 acres. only 6% contained. this new video is actually showing that fire bernie right outside of the city of los angeles, sending huge plumes of smoke in the air. some neighb

cal fire says the fire has destroyed or damaged more than 7,000 buildings and cars. one altadena couple tried their best to save their home. >> there were all these spot fires. i mean again i was just running and stamping them out and throwing rocks on them and robert actually drains the water heater because we had no water. >> looks like a nuclear bomb went off. there's just flattened. >> they say focusing on the future is what's keeping them going. >>> danya bacchus is following the firefight in los angeles. she has more on how fire officials plan to respond to tuesday's strong winds. >> reporter: firefighters in southern california are still working to contain the active fires raging in the region, launching an all out aerial assault over the weekend of water and flame retardant. >> we had the wind in our favor. however, it was like the alamo. that was our last stand. we want to make sure these thousands of homes are protected. >> reporter: footage captured in the hollerly black community of altadena shows rows of homes wiped out by the eaton fire, where crews con

and this is the latest incident map from cal-fire. burning this morning right now. cal fire is reporting 4 major blazes in los angeles county. but there are also multiple smaller fires marked by red dots. there. now for the latest on those larger fires burning hurst fire burning in sylmar is now 76% contained after burning nearly 800 acres. it started tuesday evening forcing evacuation orders in the area. and your calabassas. the kenneth fire is now 80% contained today after burning 1000 acres. it was first reported thursday afternoon. the second largest fire burning in southern california. the eaton fire torched more than 14,000 acres. it's now 15% contained. the flames sparked tuesday evening while winds in the area gusted at more than 100 miles per hour. now to largest wildfire burning in socal right now. cal fire reports the massive palisades fire devoured more than 23,000 acres since tuesday. it is 11% contained. the fire has been burning near topanga in malibu and the cause of all of these fires remains under investigation. it's

cal fire says it's up to 95% contained. the l.a. times is reporting fire agencies are investigating whether a downed power line may have caused that fire. southern california edison said friday a downed conductor was found near the fire, but added that it's unclear if it happened before or after the fire started. >> governor newsom has signed an executive order to help rebuild homes and businesses destroyed by the fires in southern california. this executive order suspends permitting and review requirements under the state's environmental quality act and the california coastal act. the goal here is to get these rebuilding projects underway a lot quicker. his order also aims to curb price gouging on building materials and other construction services. the governor says more will be done to help those affected by the fires. >> part of that is prepping the site, getting all the debris removal done, dealing with the hazardous waste. getting that done as quickly as possible. getting those contracts in order. at the same time, simultaneousl

again, the other active wildfire in southern california is on cal fire's map. still. now let's talk about the hurst fire. you see it burning right here? it's burned 800 acres, much smaller. it's near sylmar and is 97% contained. so that's some really encouraging news on that fire. so they are making some progress. and in the wake of all the fires, california is bracing for another hit to its already complicated insurance crisis. how much? >> in the wake of the l.a. wildfires, california is bracing for another hit to its already complicated insurance crisis. something seven on your side has been investigating. it stems from the state's fair plan that provides basic fire insurance for high risk properties when other companies will not. the fair plan caps insurance payments for natural disasters at $3 million for residential property holders. that price tag is important given there are now at least 33 bay area cities where the average home value exceeds $2 million. that's according to zillow. >> with the cap being at $3 million, you're talking about a high percentage of h

buddies back from back home are down here, but they're just keeping busy port carlos or to with cal fire czu. it's a song bird reunion seeing his bay area colleagues battling the worst set of fires. the state has seen. >> in a couple of years. and then this is what we call over. zoom or test shows us the staging area for cal fire trailers for interviews, press conferences and meetings. he's very much like a miniature city port is job is going to grocery stores or wherever people congregate and give them vital information to keep themselves safe. >> and about the next face, now that the fires are just starting to get under control was a fire runs through. it's important for us to be able to give the right information for the people when they start to repopulate. so everything gets done right in orderly fashion. and that next phase includes coming home for thousands, have a home to return to it all. >> it's like the national guard and dozens of fire departments all helping the cause. the damage here will be felt for generations. the unknowns are up. >> pretty scary. crews are having a caut

he was briefed by cal fire this afternoon. firefighters from a bay area strike team are on the front lines of the palisades fire. cal fire ccu sent them to southern california yesterday, knowing that there was this danger that has turned out to be disastrous. now, the windstorm is making things very dangerous in southern california. so for more on the conditions near the fire, let's get the latest now from abc seven news meteorologist sandhya patel. sandhya. >> yeah, dan, this is a damaging santa ana wind event. clearly. and it is particularly dangerous situation. red flag warning going there. so let's take a look at the visible satellite picture. if you look carefully you can see the smoke from the palisades fire traveling for miles out over the open ocean. and that's just tellingo currens 67 degrees, but those wind gusts out of the northeast 31 miles an hour, very gusty winds and the surrounding areas. malibu hills 6447. there nearby red flag warnings in effect as life threatening situation unfolds. isolated wind gusts 80 to

alameda county, oakland, hayward, fremont, menlo park, they have all joined a strike team formed by cal fireo help fight the flames in los angeles county. the san francisco fire department sent 22 firefighters to the palisades fire. they could be there for up to two weeks, depending on how things go. cal fire's division for the san mateo and santa cruz counties also have joined that response there. and we want to share with you some really dramatic video here. the wildfires can be seen burning from space. you're looking at satellite images showing the scale and spread of the fires, and also how southern california's strong santa ana winds created critical fire weather conditions there. and to get a better understanding now of how the weather played a big role in these wildfires, fierce santa ana winds again led to that red flag warning in the area where those fires are now burning. we want to check in with meteorologist shayla jardine from our sister station down in la, who has a detailed look at the winds and says every hour is going to make a difference. >> the wind isn't gone yet. unfortu

but we do begin here tonight with the images and our trip with cal fire to the fire lines late today here. tonight, the deadly apocalyptic scene. wildfires tearing through los angeles. they now fear thousands of homes destroyed here. at least five people dead. authorities saying there are many, quote, significant injuries. this evening across los angeles, there are now five major wildfires. the palisades fire, the eden fire, the lydia fire, and the woodley fire. homes and cars burning tonight. fierce winds sending fire embers down the street. the flames reaching the ocean. >> all this is going to be gone. >> david: we travel with the call fire battalion chief, who says he has never seen anything like this. we're on the pacific coast highway. we turn into one of the neighborhoods in pacific palisades. this small school burning. >> you can hear the bangs going off. >> david: yeah, yeah, the fire ripping through that school right there. you can see the cars here charred. and then we see it. home after home burning. >> it's just jumping from home to home right now, with this wind -- ther

brent with cal fire says it's all hands on deck to fight the palisades fire with crews from all over the state down in pacific. palisades crews from sonoma lake napa, amador eldorado, butte county, nevada, yuba placer. monterey. >> santa cruz, a lot of units came down to preposition those wind event. >> and you can see behind me it was needed. >> the santa ana winds wreaking havoc tuesday morning sparking this fire around 10, 30, forcing thousands to evacuate to our palisades and topanga community under evacuation order. please leave this causing a mass exodus out of the area with some people having to abandon their cars to run to safety. crews had to use a bulldozer to move the cars out of the way for firefighters, their families up their their pets up there. there are people who really need help. actor steve guttenberg lives in the area. he jumped into action, moving cars and helping others evacuate course. you know, we've got a huge fire up there. we've got huge winds right now. it's really important for people to help each other. we still don't know the exact number of homes that

cal fire bumped up containment numbers of that fire from 18 to 19% this morning. fire crews have made even more progress on the eaton fire, reporting that fire burning in altadena is now 45% contained, and that is up 10% from last night. firefighters hope to maintain those numbers as the national weather service issues a rare, dangerous situation. a fire warning for areas in la and ventura counties. gusty winds paired with low humidity and dry fuel are threatening to fan new flames or undo the progress made on the palisades and eaton fires. >> life threatening and destructive and widespread winds are already here for this significant wind event. we are taking an aggressive, lean forward posture. >> engines are staging in high risk areas, and power has preemptively been shut off to thousands of customers. 88,000 people remain under evacuation orders. another 84,000 under evacuation warnings. but officials are urging people to be ready to go now before those evacuation orders are given. law enforcement and members of the national guard have been tasked with the grim

cal fire battalion chief david acuna, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> up next, how protected are from fires when they're at school? a new investigation into fire inspections found huge lapses in the city. we'll talk with san francisco in california. but it's not just wildfires we need to worry about. what about urban fires, like at your kids school? our media partner, the san francisco standard, just published a new investigation into fire inspections at san francisco schools, both public and private, over the last decade. and they found huge lapses. joining us live now to share his article with us standard reporter jonah owen. jonah, thanks for joining us. >> pleasure to be here. >> tell us what you looked into here, what time frame and why. >> so this was an audit that was done just before covid, basically showing that in 2018, the fiscal year, the fire department missed almost a third of school inspections. and when i saw this, i thought to myself, this is pretty wild. it was, of course, before covid, so a couple of years back. but it really did capture kind of these massive o

this map from cal fire shows exactly where it's burning. here were other fires in the area as recently as 2021. reporter cassandra gutierrez spoke with some of the people who had to evacuate. >> firefighters are still working to protect people and property from the palisades fire tonight. it's already burned through hundreds of structures, leaving a path of destruction and heartbreak behind. residents in pacific palisades began returning home wednesday to find their homes, and more than half of their beloved community leveled. >> unfortunately, i lost my place of work yesterday. i saw it on the news completely in flames, so out of a job right now. but all i can do is pray. pray for my house. pray for the palisades community. that's all i can do. >> the tight knit neighborhoods of this coastal area first went up in flames on tuesday. gusty winds sending embers flying faster than firefighters could respond. some residents became trapped while trying to escape. >> there was a big decision do i stay in my car and maybe burn to death or choked fr

this map from cal fire shows exactly where it's burning. there were other fires in the area as recently as 2021. reporter cassandra gutierrez spoke with some of the people who had to evacuate. >> firefighters are still working to protect people and property from the palisades fire tonight. it's already burned through hundreds of structures, leaving a path of destruction and heartbreak behind. residents in pacific palisades began returning home wednesday to find their homes, and more than half of their beloved community leveled. >> unfortunately, i lost my place of work yesterday. i saw it on the news completely in flames, so out of a job right now. but all i can do is pray. pray for my house. pray for the palisades community. that's all i can do. >> the tight knit neighborhoods of this coastal area first went up in flames on tuesday. gusty winds sending embers flying faster than firefighters could respond. some residents became trapped while trying to escape. >> there was a big decision do i stay in my car and maybe burn to death or choked f

just please let all of them know from cal fire and the local fire departments that where the rest ofun away from things, we know you guys are always running in the direction of that danger, and we honor you for that. cal fire battalion chief brant pasqua, thanks for all that you're doing for us. >> thank you sir. >> all right. coming up today, president biden slapped new sanctions on russia as vladimir putin awaits donald trump's return. former russian ambassador michael mcfaul joins us next. >> hey, ryan reynolds here for, i guess, my 100th mint commercial. no no no no no no no no no no. i mean, it's unlimited premium wireless for $15 a month. >> i mean, honestly, when i started this, i thought i only have to do like four of these. >> how are there still people paying 2 or 3 times that much? i'm sorry, i shouldn't be victim blaming here. yeah. anyway, it's still $15 a month, so whenever still $15 a month, so whenever you're ready. (♪♪) (♪♪) voltaren... for long lasting arthritis pain relief. (♪♪) (sneeze) (hooves approaching) not again. your cold is coming! your cold is coming! than

this map is by cal fire. the newest fire is the kenneth fire. that's the one we're talking about here. and it's spreading now to a thousand acres. so far, the biggest fire is the palisades fire. of course, that's what has grabbed so much attention. palisades just absolutely devastated and wiped out thousands of homes lost there. the deadliest fire. several people died. there is the eaton fire and near pasadena. then there is the hurst fire, which is near sylmar. let me show you where that is in southern california that's burned hundreds of acres there. and then the lydia fire, which is near acton. and there you see, it's much, much smaller, obviously, but still it's diverting resources for firefighters. that one there also burning several hundred acres. >> dan, thanks so much for that. today, local fire departments conducted two controlled burns. one was on mount tam in marin county, the other was in moraga. sky seven flew overhead as firefighters set small, controlled fires. the goal is to do this on a low risk day and reduce some of the brush

he is a battalion chief with cal fire, the california department of forestry and fire protection. thank you so much for being with us. i mean, really so many threats coming from so many different directions now with the santa ana winds expected to increase in intensity later on today. what and how are you preparing for? >> mai rodriguez? thank you for having me on. well, you're absolutely right. so the winds that started on tuesday, 60 to 100mph blew the fires across westward. but then when those winds stopped, the winds proceeded to cross again back eastward. and that's why we had spread of the fire again last night. you got larger because it moved the other direction towards some of the major freeways. so with another red flag warning that it's going to push it westward again, there is a very significant concern that it's going to continue to grow. >> yeah, it's very difficult to anticipate and to plan. right now you have some air assets. um, you know, along with the state, uh, um, jurisdiction as well as, you know, canadian, uh, fire retardant dropping planes are also in the ai

we were with cal fire. it was extraordinary to see the way that they were able to push some of those fire lines back. ali. >> alison, thanks for your great reporting. stay safe. nbc's ellison barber in the brentwood area of los angeles. we're going to check back in with her at the top of the next hour. joining us now is brian fantasy, the fire chief of the orange county, california fire authority. he's a collaborator with x prize wildfire, which is a competition that incentivizes the innovation of firefighting technologies. good to see you again. thank you for being with us. we were talking to you yesterday. i want to ask you we were showing the video yesterday when you and i were on together. we saw some aircraft able to fly because when the winds come down that that's very, very helpful. we saw a helicopter putting water down and we saw a fixed wing aircraft putting fire retardant down. what are the differences between the two and what do they achieve and how are they helping in contain these fires. >> wel

brent with cal fire says it's all hands on deck to fight the palisades fire with crews from all over the state down in pacific. palisades crews from sonoma lake napa, amador eldorado, butte county, nevada, yuba placer. monterey. >> santa cruz, a lot of units came down to greet preposition those wind event. >> and you can see behind me it was needed. >> the santa ana winds wreaking havoc tuesday morning sparking this fire around 10, 30, forcing thousands to evacuate to our palisades and topanga community under evacuation order. please leave this causing a mass exodus out of the area with some people having to abandon their cars to run to safety. crews had to use a bulldozer to move the cars out of the way for firefighters, their families up their their pets up there. there are people who really need help. actor stephen gothenburg lives in the area. he jumped into action, moving cars and helping others evacuate course. you know, we've got a huge fire up there. we've got huge winds right now. it's really important for people to help each other. we still don't know the exact number of ho

cal fire estimates 5300 structures have been destroyed, and a second person has been found dead in that fire tonight. let's talk about the eaton fire, also believed to have destroyed 5000 structures. it's devastating all around there. the fire is burning in the altadena and pasadena area. it has grown to more than 13,000 acres. some people did get the opportunity to come home today to see if there's anything left of their neighborhood. just like seeing our home go down, our memories are just everything about it. it's yeah, we're hurting a lot. we would walk these streets all the time, and now seeing it burnt to the ground. and i'm just very blessed that my house is still standing. but we're not out of the woods yet. and my heart goes out to all the families i-5 friends who have lost their homes, two who've lost their entire block. so i don't know how we recover. but yeah, that is the question. how do they even recover from this? and they're not out of the woods. we want to bring in nbc's jennifer bjorklund. she's live in altadena. and, jennifer, you've been on the ground now for a coupl

the utility says they sent 2 black hawk helicopters to help cal fire. they also dispatched a 25 member crew to apply fire retardant and poles and other equipment. they check the fire damage, utility equipment, also making sure it's safe in the area for crews to try and restore power. cause of the fires raging in la county. president biden canceling what was supposed to be his final overseas trip of his presidency. the president was scheduled to be in italy for 3 days meeting with pope francis in italy's president and prime minister biden was in santa monica wednesday morning. were he met with fire officials and governor gavin newsom. the president approving the governor's request for the major disaster declaration and pledged full federal support. emergency officials working tirelessly trying to coordinate the state's response to these wildfires. governor gavin. more than 75 100 firefighting and emergency personnel have been deployed to help. the response includes hundreds of fire engines, dozens of water tenders and more than 30 helicopters assistance i