California fires updates for Monday, Jan. 27

The first significant winter storm of the season brought Southern California some relief over the weekend in the form of showers, pushing several wildfires in the Los Angeles area closer to full containment.

About a half-inch to an inch of rain is expected around the Los Angeles area by the end of Monday, with one to two inches of rain in the mountains, though the higher elevations will pick up some snow.

But with the rain comes the threat of mudslides as the National Weather Service has placed several burn areas under a flood watch into Monday. 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order last week to expedite cleanup efforts and mitigate the environmental impacts of fire-related pollutants. LA County supervisors also approved an emergency motion to install flood-control infrastructure and expedite and remove sediment in fire-impacted areas.

Most of Southern California is currently in "extreme drought" or "severe drought" conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Follow FOX 11's live blog with the latest updates provided on the current fires burning in SoCal:

Near 100% containment

6 p.m.: The 14,000-acre Eaton Fire is 99% contained while crews have contained 98% of the 23,000-acre Palisades Fire.

Death toll update

4:55 p.m.: The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office reveals a Palisades Fire victim has died at the hospital, raising the death toll for Palisades Fire to 12. The death toll from the Eaton Fire is at 17, marking the total of the two fires as 29.

Rebuilding timeline

2:15 p.m.: While speaking with reporters, Mayor Karen Bass and Chief Recovery Officer Steve Soboroff were grilled by reporters over the timeline for rebuilding the Palisades area. 

Palisades repopulation

1:17 p.m.: The final evacuation areas within the Palisades Fire burn zone have been lifted, allowing residents only to return to the area. Residents will have to obtain access passes to enter the area by checking in with law enforcement at Lot 3 Beach Access, 1150 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. Curfew orders remain in effect.

Bass to hold press conference

12 p.m.: Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Chief Recovery Officer Steve Soboroff will hold a news conference in Pacific Palisades to discuss wildfire recovery efforts. The press conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. FOX 11 will stream the press conference live.

New disaster recovery center opens in Altadena

A new disaster recovery center opened in Altadena where fire victims can get information on multiple state and federal resources. 

Newsom issues executive order to help LA rebuild

10:20 a.m.: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an executive order that will suspend the Costal Commission’s permit requirements following the LA firestorm. The order will also expand short-time housing for wildfire survivors to stay in hotels or other rentals for more than 30 days. 

More Pasadena schools reopen

9 a.m.: FOX 11's Koco McAboy spoke to families as their children returned to school for the first time after the Eaton Fire. 

Mudslide forms on Topanga Canyon Boulevard

8:05 a.m.: Rain also triggered a mudslide along Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

Rain triggers mudslide in the Pacific Palisades

8 a.m.: SkyFOX flew over a mudslide on Pacific Drive located in the Palisades Fire burn scar area.

Eaton Fire nears full containment

7:30 a.m.: Crews were approaching full containment of the Eaton Fire that devastated Altadena and the San Gabriel Valley. The fire was 98% contained with 14,021 acres burned. 

Palisades Fire 94% contained

7:15 a.m.: The Palisades Fire that tore through the Pacific Palisades and other parts of West Los Angeles was 94% contained with 23,448 acres burned, Cal Fire said. 

Hughes Fire 95% contained

7 a.m.: Overnight numbers provided by Cal Fire indicated the Hughes Fire is 95% contained with 10,425 acres burned. 

School Closures

6:05 a.m.: All Malibu schools within the Santa Monica-Unified School District were closed Monday due to dangerous road conditions. Santa Monica schools are in session.

Winter storm triggers mud, debris flow

6:00 a.m.: FOX 11's Mario Ramirez reported from Woodland Hills where there was mud and debris flow on Sunday. 

Snow shuts down Grapevine

5:00 a.m.: The Grapevine was closed in both directions due to snow. The National Weather Service predicted snow levels would drop to mountain pass levels. 

The Hughes Fire

The Huges Fire was first reported in the Castaic area on Wednesday, Jan. 22 along Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake. Within an hour, the fire exploded from 50 to 500 acres. Officials quickly issued evacuation orders and warnings, including students who were taken to other schools and locations. 

The first day of the firefight also caused a temporary closure of the Grapevine along the 5 Freeway. 

By the next day, several evacuation orders and warnings were downgraded. 

The Eaton Fire

The Eaton Fire was first reported on Tuesday, Jan. 7 near Altadena and Midwick drives.

Some residents did not survive the flames and at least 7,000 structures were destroyed.

Authorities have implemented a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for all areas that remain under mandatory evacuation orders in the Altadena area. This comes after more than 30 looting arrests were made by the LA County Sheriff's Department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but they were fueled by extreme drought conditions, combined with the supersized Santa Ana winds that whipped flames and embers at 100 mph – much faster than usual. 

A lawsuit has since been filed, claiming Southern California Edison equipment sparked the Eaton Fire. 

The lawsuit alleges that Southern California Edison failed to comply with essential electrical and fire safety standards, including failing to maintain power lines and overgrown vegetation.

The Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire broke out on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 7 as parts of Southern California were hit by powerful Santa Ana winds – the strongest to hit the area in over a decade, officials said.  The piercing winds not only intensified the spread of the fire, it also prevented helicopters and planes from dumping water or fire retardant onto the burning scene as it was too dangerous to fly during the first day of the massive fire.

The fire extended well over 23,000 acres in seven days, destroying homes and businesses across the Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The fire also forced evacuations across parts of LA County, including Bel-Air, Brentwood and Santa Monica.

The fire also destroyed the Pacific Palisades Charter High School and other schools in the fire's path. 

What caused the Palisades Fire?

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, a popular hiking destination, Skull Rock – an area north of Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades – is at the center of an investigation "as a possible starting point for the Palisades fire."

Meanwhile, local authorities have announced multiple rounds of arrests taking place from the Palisades Fire scenes, but none of which are explicitly related to the cause of the fire. Over the weekend, there was an announcement of a man arrested for impersonating a firefighter. The alleged "fake firefighter" was accused of trying to break into one of the evacuated homes.

Other people have also been accused of arson across Southern California.

Quick Resources

The Source: Information for this story is from FOX 11 reports, as well as local and state authorities. The Associated Press contributed.

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