we're joined live by cal fire battalion chief david acuna uh.cuna, thank you so much for your time today. >> absolutely. thank you for having me. >> what does it mean to be prepared in this case? and why is it so important? >> so there are a number of levels of preparation in southern california, from santa barbara to san diego. we are going to continue to have these red flag warnings. so in order to prepare, we need folks to go to ready for wildfire.org where they can find out how to prepare their homes, but more importantly, prepare themselves, their pets and potentially livestock to evacuate in case of an emergency. >> you know that website you just gave out? ready for wildfire.org? i took a look and there was some great information, including the pre-evacuation part, because a lot of it is the prep work you do before and knowing these things. so i'm going to put up some tips and i think we'll start with inside the home, because i think these are just so invaluable. walk us through this list please, of what these things mean and why they're s

appreciate david acuna talking to us there. as i mentioned, we will talk again next hour. and cnn has crews across the region working to bring you the very latest, including from inside areas torched by these wildfires and natasha chen and her crew captured this video, leaving their location in santa monica. she says it was, quote, the most terrifying exit that we've made from any assignment in a long time. cnn's natasha chen joins me now by phone. and, natasha, i know this was a terrifying excerpt from the fire for you and the crew. you are safe now, but walk us through what happened exactly? >> yes. so we were assigned to cover the palisades fire and we were there from about noon until about just after 6 p.m. local time, when we had finished our last live shot. and i guess what, we hadn't quite surmised was exactly how bad it had gotten south of us on pacific coast highway. and that's the way we came in to get to our spot to cover the fire. and we knew that we had heard reports that the flames jumped the highway, but i guess we had not seen with our own eyes just exactly

. >>> and joining us now is david acuÑa, public information officer for cal fire. avid, thank you very much for being here with us this morning. what is your team seeing right now? >> well, thank you for having me on. so the entire southern california area is being affected by an extremely strong wind event. we're used to red-flag warnings. this is actually a red-flag warning with a special annotation of a dangerous situation, where we've had winds from 60 to 100 miles per hour, affecting the region from ventura, all the way to san diego. so these winds will pick up any small amount of fire, and we do know that 95% of all fires are caused by humans. so any small fire grows rapidly. we have three major fires running rampant right now, and we continue to see small fires get started. and we still have resources deployed across the entire state, prepared to respond to those new small fires. >> yeah. i mean, the fact that none of these fires, or i should say, that all of these fires are 0% contained. and that -- that new fire that essentially, just started up, you know,

david acuna, thank you for taking the time to talk to us.ar from governor gavin newsom in the past hour. he is describing the dire situation in california very directly, saying "there is no fire season, it is better year. it is year-round." joining me is daniel swain, climate scientist at ucla. thank you for joining us. help us understand the relationship between climate change and what we are seeing, the situation that we are seeing in california right now. >> thanks for having me. we know the winter into the autumn are the kind of year when southern california does tend to see the strong, dry offshore winds like we are experiencing now. this is a particularly extreme episode. the underlying precondition that relates most to climate and climate change is the level of vegetation and landscape scale dryness heading into this wind event, which was highly anomalous, even record-breaking levels. this has been an unusually warm and record dry stretch for southern california in the weeks and months leading up to this fire, which comes on the heels

joining us now is the latest, battalion chief david acuna. chief, thanks for being with us.update. first, how do we feel about containment? what areas are the most threatened as we wake up this morning? >> good morning. thank you for having me on. well, honestly, the entire perimeter is threatened, although we are at 11 and 15% containment for the palisades and eaton respectively. the concern is these winds as they go back and forth. adam did a great job of pointing out all the weather, santa ana winds. one of the elements that we look at as well though is all that air ends up being a pocket off the ocean. well, as soon as the winds stop, the winds go the other direction. so we've been dealing with these battling winds that that threatened every inch of that line, which is why we're being so cautious with the containment percentage. will: so, chief, right now as we stand here today, how to you feel about the resources available to do you have everything you need to best fight these fires? >> we have more than fighters assigned to these incidents, and with more on the way. yo

. >> well, joining us now on the line is david acuna, battalion chief and public information officer for cal fire. chief, thank you so much for being with us. can you at this hour just bring us up to date on these three wildfires that are raging across l.a., how quickly they are still spreading and how much worse do you expect this to get? >> hi, christine. absolutely. so we are dealing with a significant wind event throughout all of southern california, from ventura, all the way down to san diego. and with 60 to 100 mile an hour winds expected to continue all the way through thursday, we're expecting the firefight to just intensify. in fact, we are having new fires pop up as we speak. >> so they are out of control and you're having to focus on saving lives effectively as the fire service. >> that is absolutely correct. so while we are, you know, struggling to deal with fires that are moving at 60 to 100mph, our focus is to maintain the life safety above all else um, and as we speak to you, chief, we are seeing live pictures of, uh, ferocious blazes still happening in los angeles. >>

joining me live now is david acuna. he is the battalion chief and public information officer for cal fire. david, thank you so much for taking a bit of time here on what has been just an incredibly busy 30 plus hours. now as we see some of the live images also from the scene, what can you tell us right now about where things stand as we speak? >> so we're a little over halfway through this wind event. i would love to say that it's going to be over tonight, but it's not. >> it's planned to go through wednesday into thursday. we're hoping that it begins to taper off on friday. with all of that said, not only can these fires grow, but the bigger concern is that there will be a new fire. we do know that 95% of all wildfires are started by humans, and so it is up to the public to make sure they create one less spark in order to help firefighters and the public in their efforts. >> i was going to say at this point, it certainly is likely too soon to tell. david, is there any idea how some of these fires may have even started?

we're joined by cal fire battalion chief david acuna. chief, thank you so much for being with us after so many days of battling these flames, i imagine that exhaustion becomes a factor after so much grueling work. how are your crews holding up right now? do you have an adequate system of replacement firefighters? >> well, thank you for having me on, boris. well, we actually do. we have a lot of resources that have arrived. more than 7500 firefighters. but in addition, we have 2500 firefighters that we've requested from outside of the state. you know, this mutual aid agreement we have within california extends around us. so when needed, we can reach out to oregon, nevada, arizona and ask for help from them. >> and what is the biggest challenge that your crews are facing right now? as as there's this window of opportunity, the winds have somewhat died down. but this is crunch time, right? because we know that next week there's a chance of a resurgence of those winds. >> well, it is a mixed bag, right. because although the winds are dying d

david acuna thank you sir. we appreciate your time. thank you bill.and when we come back, crews are scrambling to contain these fires, as we've been talking about now for the sixth day, many residents trying to return to their homes, survey the damage, but really not getting anywhere. >> just pure devastation. >> i've never seen anything like this before. this is the second time we've had to evacuate since i moved here ten years ago, but this just blows everything out of the water. this park changed my life. >> superman. crazy. just that simple little thing over the horse. >> chris wanted to change the world. >> people are literally walking because of him. >> super man, the christopher reeve story february 2nd on cnn. >> you don't stop being you just because you turn 65. but you do face more risk from flu and covid. last year alone, those viruses hospitalized nearly 1 million people 65 and older. 1 million vaccines lower your risk of getting really sick so you can keep doing you. >> what drives your business? numbers, data sales? sure, but it's your p

joining us right now is battalion chief with cal fire, david acuna. thanks so much for coming back in, chief. winds picking back up today. what do 70 70 mile per hour gusts mean for firefighting efforts at this point? >> thank you so much for having me on here, kate. and as stephanie mentioned yeah, there's so much wind blowing through. imagine if you're driving down the freeway at 70 miles an hour, you stick your hand out flat and have the wind press against that. then you look at it from the point of view of that is the wind that's happening from ventura to northern l.a. and the entire region of southern california is under this red flag, warning that pressure just blows fire. the direction of the wind and will pick up these embers that we've been diligently trying to extinguish. and so they do not go over our control lines. >> well, you have to ground planes and aircraft and helicopters once again. >> so yes, when it gets over about 30mph, depending on the aircraft and the pilots, uh, determinations, because they're professionals and dedicated, the

david acuna, thank you so much for talking with us. we appreciate it. >> thank you. rosemary. >> and i spoke earlier with sue cole, a pacific palisades resident who had to evacuate her home due to the fire. and i asked her about her experience. >> we heard about the fire at about 1030 right when it started. we have a very good alert system, so we got a lot of alerts, most of which told us that evacuations were ordered for the palisades, highlands and all the hilly areas. but knowing that the winds were so severe, we all went home, packed up our cars, got our pets, medications, whatever, and took off. and the better news for us at that point was that sunset boulevard is the only major thoroughfare that runs through the entire town, and at the end where steve guttenberg was, sunset was closed due to fire. and where i was, i was able to go the opposite direction and actually very, very slowly get out of town. it is apocalyptic. there's never been anything like this, all because of the severe winds. it's just. and usually when you live in the palisades, when you live in

david acuna is with me right now. 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,

let's let's get an update also from david acuna, the battalion chief with cal fire.nk you so much for getting on with us once again. what is the latest on the firefight from your perspective, where is the biggest focus of resources for cal fire today? >> hi kate, thank you for having me on. >> so the focus right now is the entire region from ventura all the way down to san diego with the red flag warning imminent. every one of our fires that's currently active, the containment lines that are not fully contained yet are still a challenge as possible. that wind could blow an ember over with cooperation from the entire state. eight plus surrounding states as well as canada and mexico. it's really helping bolster our group. >> and that's the big fear, right? i mean, the winds are forecast to gust. i think i saw between 45 and 55 miles an hour today. but then they pick back up. mother nature is not giving you all a break quite yet, that's for sure. what does that mean? if you're looking at 70 mile an hour wind gusts yet again come tuesday, wednesday, in terms of your effo

david acuna is battalion chief with the california department of forestry and fire protection. giving us his assessment as to what caused the fires. so, what's happening is these winds that came through earlier this week, going to 60 to 100mph all blew out over the ocean, creating a large air massjust sitting off the coast. well, as soon as the winds stopped from the east, all the winds that are off on the shore just blew right on back into the coast. but now, instead of being the onshore humid winds, they're still very, very dry, which is why we're seeing expansion of the fire perimeter to the north and to the east. now, we're very fortunate because we have a lot of really good partners. la city, la county, the angeles national forest, as well as all the local co—operators and cities down there. every one of them works very hard, and we all train the same way, so that when a large incident like this happens, we all are working together with the same terminology and the same objectives. there's been a large addition of water tenders, trucks that have water tanks on the back, an

. >> david, acuÑa, thank you very much for being with us this morning.that wraps up the hour for me. i'm jose dias ballard. thank you for your time. r your. >> good day everyone, i'm andrea mitchell in washington as a desperate escape is under way in southern california. with five wild fires burning, across all of la county, there are multiple burn victims. the worst is yet to come. >> i want to make sure that everybody understands we are absolutely not out of danger yet. >> heed the advice of first responders when they ask you to evacuate, evacuate. this is not a drill. this is in realtime. >> hurricane force wind gusts, some topping 100 miles per hour pushing the deadly flames with devastating force and frightening speed. thousandsof acres destroyed in 30 minutes. the number of mandatory evacuations keeps growing. >> they escaped on foot as the flames closed in on top of them along the famed palisades th parkway. >> the homeowners are saying they are unable to access any exit route. there is fire on both sides of the roads. >> fire crews then used bull

chief david acuna, we have so appreciated you checking in with us for days now. and thank you for being with us again today. >> you're welcome. >> minutes from now, president biden will be delivering one of his last major speeches before he leaves office. the focus of this is going to be foreign policy. his legacy on foreign policy. we're going to bring you his remarks, live. >> so i heard you found someone special. yeah. >> is that dog food in the fridge? >> it's not dog food. it's fresh pet real meat. real veggies for peter. that's. >> peter should have known. >> i do make a pretty cute couple. really? the bird? >> oh. >> let's start the bidding at $5 million. >> thank you sir. >> these people of privilege hoarding the financial advantages for far too long. >> five at the back. >> look at them. >> unaware that robinhood gold members now enjoy the vip treatment. >> $1 million. >> the 3% ira match on retirement contributions 11 million, sir. once they discover their privileges are no longer exclusive. their fragile reality will plunge into disarray. >> hank used

cal fire public information officer david acuna, thank you so much for that update.ontinue to check in with all of you down there in southern california. and again, our thoughts are with you. we know this is a difficult situation. >> thank you so much. >> well, the casket of former president jimmy carter is lying in state now in the capitol rotunda in washington, d.c, for people to pay their respects. president carter will lie in state through thursday. ahead of his funeral service. we're taking a live look. now. you can see a number of people there who have come to pay their final respects to just a former president who has just been cherished and honored and loved for his public service, and just a kind human being. his funeral will be held at washington national cathedral tomorrow. lawmakers have utilized eulogized the former president during a ceremony emphasizing his values and leadership. >> james earl carter jr. loved our country. he lived his faith. he served the people and he left the world better than he found it. >> after tamara's funeral in washington, hi

. >> david acuna is with me now.he's the public information officer for the california department of forestry and fire protection. chief acuna, i don't know if you heard vanessa talking there. the family owns a vittorio restaurant in pacific palisades. it's gone. um, how much? how much bigger do you think these fires are are going to get? we understand now. there were four, but there are now five. if chief garcia was talking about the lydia fire are now burning in the l.a. area. >> well, you're absolutely correct. the threat is not gone as multiple, uh, chiefs have stated in the press conferences. we are not out of the woods yet. we are expected high winds through tonight into tomorrow, hopefully easing up on friday. but in the meantime, it's going to be up to the public to maintain their vigilance so that we prevent one less spark and make sure that we don't have any more fires pop up. >> so the l.a. county fire chief says there are not enough firefighters to battle all the blazes. i know chief garcia was telling me

we've been hearing that cal fire battalion chief david acuna said to to fred, that current wind conditions are favorable for firefighters to use aircraft and perform crucial drops of water and fire retardant fire retardant to shore up containment lines. that's what they're trying to do. that red is the fire retardant. they're dropping them from c-130s and also dc 10s, which are flying with up to 5000 gallons. those dc ten, a fire retardant. and the conditions, of course, for rapid spread are returning today. offshore winds are set to hit along the coast. and our correspondent leigh waldman joins me now. and leigh, you know, watching some of this, the winds just impede their ability to fight the fire, not just because of the fact that they can switch direction so quickly, but those super scoopers that they were calling them along the water, they can't scoop up the water with the winds and the turbulence to fight the fires during those winds. and we are expected to see those. i know we can feel a little bit of it now, but to really pick up. >> yeah, we're expecting those winds to come back t

david acuÑa, it's good to see you again, chief. thank you.y seemed to be not as bad as predicted in terms of the winds. thank goodness. what's it looking like today from your perspective? >> well, thankfully you're right. we were able to make some progress. get some of those containment lines down and really mop up some of the areas that were hot so that when the winds do come, it doesn't blow an ember up and over the containment lines. but what we really transitioned is into our suppression repair or were it's our watershed emergency response team to prepare the landscape when it rains. >> i've seen in terms of the kind of long battle to fully extinguish the fires, that it's going to take weeks to fully extinguish these fires. how long could this take? >> you know, that's actually a great question. we don't know because there's a lot of areas that is unique here. so, you know, it's a suburban, sometimes urban area where, you know, there are a lot of people have those battery storage systems, those hold heat for months, you know, are we going

joining us now, battalion chief and public information officer for cal fire, david acuna. unt of resources the cal fire and others are throwing at the blazes? >> yes. thank you for having me on. so we have people coming from all over the western u.s. and as you stated, canada and mexico, over 14,000 have now been committed with more en route. so the firefight continues along the edges of all of our fires. but with the winds predicted to shift again from the north and the east, with the very dry desert winds, we're expected for containment to be challenged. not to mention if there are any more wildfires that begin during that time frame. >> so how in particular do these santa ana winds, which we've been talking about all morning, they're forecasted to return today very, very strong, very dangerous. how is that going to impact fire response efforts? is there anything that can be done to blunt their damage? >> so santa ana winds are causing a big flare up of the fires that exist within the perimeter. however, at the edge, it also is a challenge, which is where we focus most of