WEDNESDAY EVENING UPDATE: L.A. City Continues to Prepare Fire-Affected Areas for Potential Impacts from Rain, Monitors Hughes Fire Outside City of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - City officials are tracking dangerous fire weather through Friday, with the peak of the danger on Thursday. Red flag warnings remain in effect - Angelenos are encouraged to remain prepared and stay vigilant. The City of Los Angeles continues to monitor the Hughes Fire, which is outside of the City and in the County of Los Angeles, specifically the Castaic Area. This fire has burned more than 9,000 acres and is 0% contained. The Los Angeles Fire Department deployed five strike teams and one dozer with support to assist in the fire fight. For the latest information regarding the Hughes Fire, visit lacounty.gov/emergency.

Read on for key updates and information about emergency response and recovery:

Shoring Up Burn Areas Ahead of Possible Rain, Protecting Water, Beaches and Ocean

Ahead of possible rain, LA Mayor Karen Bass issued an Emergency Executive Orderyesterday to shore up burn areas and to mitigate the serious health and environmental impacts of fire-related hazardous pollutants on the stormwater system, beaches and ocean. The emergency executive order marshals City Public Works crews to clear and remove vegetation, shore up hillsides, reinforce roads and clear debris from neighborhoods and burn areas ahead of rainy weather that could arrive on Saturday.

The City of Los Angeles continues to prepare for potential rain this weekend, with crews preparing to stem the flow of toxins from burned areas to our water, beaches and ocean, and to protect Angelenos and property from further damage.

Pick up a sandbag to protect you and your family at a local fire station or recreation center. For information on where to get sand, click here. Angelenos are encouraged to call ahead of time to ensure that sand remains available.

Protect Yourself During Re-Entry to a Burned Area: New Zones Announced

Palisades Fire Unified Incident Command announced limited re-entry to some evacuation zones for residents only, including a new zone today. Visit the City of Los Angeles' websitefor zones that are allowing re-entry and for guidance about how to stay safe when you return to an area impacted by wildfire.

Protect yourself from health and environmental hazards:

• Wear a tight fitting N95 Mask or greater

• Wear household dishwashing gloves, long-sleeved shirt and long pants

• Wear safety goggles, not safety glasses

• Do not use leafblowers or other equipment such as vacuum cleaners that may cause dust particles to be airborne.

• Unified Command encourages residents who are re-entering the evacuation area to enter at their own risk and not sort through any fire debris - Know the risks. Stay safe.

LADWP POWER RESTORATION IN THE PACIFIC PALISADES
If you have been allowed to return to your home and find your power out but your immediate neighbors' electricity is on, please check your electrical panel. If power remains out on your street or block, LADWP crews are still inspecting the power lines that supply power to your street or block to ensure they are safe to restore. Allowing power lines to be turned on before it is safe to do so can create a public safety hazard. LADWP remains in close coordination with Unified Command and will continue working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible, as clearance is received.  

DO NOT DRINK NOTICE - Effective January 10, 2025,LADWP issued a Do Not Drink Noticein the zip code 90272 and the LADWP service area immediately south of the 90272 zip code and north of San Vicente Blvd. Click here to see if you are in an affected areaand to better understand what that means for your tap water.

Reentry For Residents of the Palisades

For residents who have not yet been able to return to evacuation areas, please know that emergency crews are responding and assessing burn areas for environmental and safety hazards. There are criteria for consideration prior to re-opening areas currently under mandatory evacuation order. To see the safety and environmental criteria that must be considered in order to allow for re-entry, please visit LACity.gov.

Find out if your home has been damaged with Damage Inspection Dashboard. The Dashboard is operated by L.A. County and updated regularly however, information may change. More than 11,000 structures have been inspected.

Making Progress on Debris Removal

Hazardous materials from burned properties require special handling and safe disposal by U.S. EPA's cleanup crews. These materials will be sent to licensed disposal facilities (not municipal landfills). The EPA has been assessing and preparing to remove the first phase of debris - hazardous materials such as lithium batteries, asbestos, paints, cleaners and pesticides. Read more and check out EPA's interactive map.

Deadline to Apply For Federal Assistance is March 10, 2025

FEMA announced that more than $37 million has been distributed to wildfire survivors in L.A. thus far and more than 94,000 applications have been received. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance and SBA loans - includes help for homeowners, renters and businesses - is March 10, 2025. Visit lacity.govto learn more or stop by the City Disaster Recovery Center located at the UCLA Research Park, formerly known as the Westside Pavilion at 10850 Pico Blvd. Current hours of operation are 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM, 7 days a week.

Key Updates:

• Monitor Air Quality - Windblown Dust and Ash Advisory Expires Remains in Effect

  • Continue to monitor air quality and wear a N95 mask when ash, smoke, dust is in the air.

  • N95 masks are available for free at local LA libraries and recreation centers.

• Know Before You Go - The LA Zoo and some parks including Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon will remain closed on Thursday. See full list of closed parks at laparks.org.

• Help For Pets - For help with a pet in the evacuation area, call 213-270-8155.

  • If you are a person with a disability and need an alternative way to contact the hotline, please complete the Los Angeles Fire Evacuation Animal Services Form in Englishor Spanish.

Progress Toward Containment (As of Wednesday, 6:15 PM):

• Palisades Fire is 70% contained - urgent work continues.

• Eaton Fire, affecting communities outside the City of Los Angeles, is 95% contained.