Topline:
Containment of the massive Palisades Fire increased to 63% Tuesday as red flag conditions are expected to return.
Where things stand: The fire continues to spread across the Santa Monica Mountains, growing to more than 23,700 acres, according to CalFire.
This is a developing story and will be updated. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:
Containment of the massive Palisades Fire increased to 63% Tuesday as red flag conditions are expected to return.
The death toll in the fire that devastated whole neighborhoods rose Tuesday to 11 people. Authorities continue to search the ruins with cadaver dogs.
As of Wednesday morning, sheriff's officials said in areas they patrol they are still investigating six missing people reports in the Palisades Fire.
LAPD officials said they've investigated 38 reports of missing people in the Palisades Fire, and 30 have been found safe. Authorities said they believe that of the eight still missing, three are "most likely" among the dead who have not yet been positively identified and five remain missing.
Roughly 5,000 structures are estimated to have been destroyed, about 700 damaged.
The Sheriff's Department said Thursday afternoon that some evacuation zones will be reopened to residents effective noon on Thursday, Jan. 16.
The following zones will be reopened to residents:
"Resident access will be through the intersections of Mulholland Highway/Old Topanga Canyon Road, Civic Center Way/Malibu Canyon Road, and Mulholland Drive/Topanga Canyon Road," according to the LASD update.
On Friday, some areas under evacuation orders were open for residents.
Orders reduced to warnings:
Areas reopened to only residents:
The sheriff's department said evacuees should have proof of residency when they try to re-enter and that only residents are currently allowed back in.
Here's what to know about returning home after a fire evacuation.
We have some respite from fire weather conditions through Saturday.
This week, L.A. Councilmember Traci Park, who represents the area, told LAist 89.3's AirTalk program that officials will be asking "some very hard questions about what happens and what we are going to do to ensure that something like this never happens again."
"Because frankly," she added, "much of what occurred — even though this was an unusual weather event — what's predictable? The Pacific Palisades is in the very high fire severity zone."
Firefighters have been injured, as have a significant number of residents who didn't evacuate in time, according to authorities. That's in addition to at least 11 reported deaths.
After days of 0% containment, that number moved to 6% a week ago. Last Friday, it was at 22%.
We should note that the estimate of more than 5,000 structures damaged or destroyed is still preliminary and could change. The case is the same for the number of deaths — it takes time to identify remains and L.A. County Fire Department noted there have been more than a dozen missing person reports in their jurisdictions in both the Eaton and Palisades fires.
CalFire also cautioned against believing inaccurate social media posts. One claimed that people can come to California to join clean up efforts, but authorities warned this is false.
L.A. County's medical examiner has confirmed 11 deaths in the Palisades Fire. One victim, Charles Mortimer, 84, died at a hospital.
Officials are mapping where homes and businesses have been lost.
Curfews are now in place for fire areas from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice.
The L.A. County Sheriff's department said they have made at least 22 arrests for people violating those curfews in the Palisades and Eaton fire areas, mostly on suspicion of looting.
Authorities warn that anyone who violates the curfew is subject to arrest for a misdemeanor offense, and may face jail time, fines, or both, officials said.
" All these individuals were not supposed to be there, meaning they had no business being there ," said LA County Sheriff Robert Luna at a press conference Saturday morning. "You go out there and you violate this curfew, you are going to spend time in jail. You're not going to get cited and released."
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency Tuesday night. Newsom also proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Tuesday after meeting with fire officials in Pacific Palisades.
President Joe Biden approved a Presidential Major Emergency Declaration on Wednesday to support the response to the wildfires. He said on social media that he’s directed the Department of Defense to provide additional personnel, and ten Navy helicopters with water buckets are on the way.
Driven by strong winds, it turned into a nightmare scenario that many hoped would never come to pass: an unstoppable fire tearing through densely packed coastal neighborhoods positioned between steep mountains and the Pacific Ocean, with few ways in and out.
While the full extent of the damage is not yet known, it's clear that the storied coastal stretch of Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu will never be the same. Long standing businesses, including the Reel Inn, a seafood restaurant located across the street from Topanga State Beach, have been destroyed.
The fire was reported around 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday and immediately began heading toward the community of Pacific Palisades, driven by 70 mph wind gusts. The fire grew from 10 acres to 200 acres in just minutes.
During the early hours of evacuations, some residents fleeing the fire were told by officers to abandon their cars and walk to safety.
Many were seen holding bags and pets as they made their way towards the ocean. Abandoned vehicles were then bulldozed to make room for emergency vehicles.
Total destruction in Malibu. These were beachfront homes on Pacific Coast Highway. #palisadesfire pic.twitter.com/DhQnJMmoUW
— Liz Kreutz (@LizKreutzNews) January 8, 2025
Evacuation zones are changing fast, so check out the most up to date, interactive map here.
Authorities on Tuesday announced certain areas would open for repopulation:
LA County Sheriff's Eaton Fire Update for Tuesday, January 21st, 2025: Repopulation and Safety Guidelines
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) January 21, 2025
LASD announced evacuation warnings have been lifted for the following evacuation zone communities impacted by the Eaton Fire, effective 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday, January 21st,… pic.twitter.com/ArKB0lIkfh
Officials are pleading with people to avoid the wildfire areas, especially if you don’t live there.
Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Rec Center, 14201 Huston St., Sherman Oaks
Lanark Recreation Center, 21816 Lanark St, Canoga Park
Westwood Recreation Center: 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd. (accepts small animals)
Pasadena Convention Center: 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101
El Camino Real Charter High School: 5440 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Pierce College: 6201 Winnetka Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91371 (accepts large animals)
Los Angeles Equestrian Center: 480 Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91506 (accepts large animals)
Agoura Animal Shelter: 29525 Agoura Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (accepts small animals)
Santa Monica-Malibu USD has been closed since Thursday.
"We watch with all of you in disbelief the devastation and displacement caused by the Palisades fire, which continues to grow and evade containment," Superintendent Antonio Shelton wrote in a statement.
Nearly two dozen school districts are totally closed due to the wildfires — you can find a full list here.
The Los Angeles Unified School District also closed Thursday.
Palisades Charter Elementary School and Marquez Charter Elementary School were destroyed by the fire, an LAUSD spokesperson confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said that Palisades High suffered significant damage due to the fire.
Many roads in the area are closed or restricted, including long stretched of Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Road. For the most recent information, check out Sigalert.com or this Los Angeles County Public Works map.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power replaced its boil water notice with a "Do Not Drink Notice" for the Palisades-area 90272 ZIP code and the area north of San Vicente Blvd. That means people in those areas should not drink or cook with tap water until the notice is lifted. Residents are still advised to limit water use to assist with firefighting efforts.
L.A. County Water Works District 29 has also issued a boil water advisory, according to L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. This includes the Sunset Mesa community from Topanga Beach and Coastline Drive, to Shore Heights Drive, and from Topanga Canyon Road to Carbon Canyon Road in Malibu. You can call (800) 475-4357 for more information.
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If you have to evacuate
If you have more time:
Things to consider
Navigating fire conditions
How to help yourself and others
Understanding how it got this bad
Topline:
The Japanese American National Museum announced today it's reopening in January after a two-year overhaul that reshapes how it tells the Japanese American story and connecting that history to present-day civil rights issues.
The update: The biggest change will be the replacement of the museum’s longtime core exhibition, "Common Ground" with a new exhibition that's twice as large and will cover more a wider expanse of time and use the Japanese American experience as a lens for a broader American story.
Opening date: Starting Jan. 23, the museum will be open Tuesday through Sunday.
The Japanese American National Museum announced today it will reopen in January after a two-year, $25 million overhaul of the country’s largest museum dedicated to the Japanese American experience.
The museum in L.A.’s Little Tokyo is reshaping its galleries and expanding its signature exhibition to include more perspectives and connections between Japanese American history and current debates over race, immigration and democracy.
“We want to tell the story in a way that is more expansive and that other immigrants, communities can see their own story reflected,” said Ann Burroughs, the museum’s president and CEO.
That effort to tie history to the present comes as JANM itself has faced political pressure, with the museum losing federal funding amid Trump administration cuts.
The museum reopens Jan. 23 and will be open Tuesday through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on Fridays. School and group tours will resume March 1.
From the outside, visitors returning to the museum, which has been closed since January 2024, will recognize its modern, minimalist exterior. Once they step through the doors, though, the experience will be vastly different.
The biggest change will be the installation of a 9,200-square-foot permanent exhibition occupying nearly all of the museum’s first floor — more than twice the space of the exhibition it replaces.
"Common Ground," which opened in 1999, covered Japanese American history from migration to the U.S. in the 1800s to the passage of a federal law — the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 — that formally apologized for the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and provided $20,000 in reparations to surviving detainees.
The new exhibition, called "In the Future We Call Now: Realities of Racism, Forging Democracy," will include more recent history, such as Japanese American support for reparations for Black Americans and vocal opposition to the Islamophobia that swelled after 9/11. It will also cover the Japanese American response to ICE detention and incarceration of migrant children, drawing parallels to World War II camps.
It will also bring lesser-known perspectives to familiar history through telling the story of incarceration from “women and mothers” and those incarcerated at Tule Lake, the camp in Northern California where Japanese Americans labeled as disloyal by the U.S. government were isolated during World War II.
“JANM hadn’t told that story before,” Burroughs said. “You can’t draw those parallels of what’s happening now if you don’t talk about the camps and if you don’t talk about Tule Lake.”
The new exhibition will also lean more heavily into audiovisual storytelling, using technology and archival media to make the history feel more immediate.
The interactive “StoryFiles” incorporate AI so visitors can pose questions to digital avatars of incarceration survivors like the actor George Takei.
Burroughs stressed that the museum is not using generative AI, but drawing upon hours and hours of interviews in which subjects answered hundreds of questions.
The new exhibition will also draw deeply from JANM’s extensive collection of Japanese American home movies, including footage dating to the 1930s, and give visitors a window into everyday life before World War II.
Some of JANM’s best-known objects will be included in the new exhibition, like barracks from the Heart Mountain incarceration camp in Wyoming and a model of Manzanar in California’s remote Owens Valley, the first of the camps to be built.
The museum is also emphasizing everyday culture, with displays ranging from kimonos brought by Japanese immigrant women at the turn of the 20th century to rice cookers, and the worldwide reach of Hello Kitty.
The larger new exhibition was created without growing the museum's footprint through reconfiguring the building. For example, the museum’s Aratani Central Hall will take on a new role as the museum’s main entrance, with visitors entering through its sweeping curved glass wall and moving directly into the exhibition galleries. But Burroughs said the redesign will not come at the expense of the hall’s longtime function as a community space available to local nonprofits.
Upstairs, visitors will find reconfigured spaces including a new reading room filled with works and furnishings by Ruth Asawa and Isamu Noguchi. Behind the scenes, JANM has upgraded decades-old building systems such as its HVAC and elevators.
The museum overhaul was funded as part of a much larger $135 million fundraising campaign, Burroughs said. The rest of the campaign supports JANM’s operations and long-term financial stability, including about $56 million in endowment and board-designated reserves.
"You know, life is never secure in the nonprofit world or in the museum world," Burroughs said. "We have to do a lot more to build up our endowments. We just will keep going."
Topline:
Public health officials are urging the public to be wary after a recent outbreak.
The details: Five people were hospitalized with typhus after the outbreak in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. All have recovered. A record number of cases were recorded in L.A. County in 2025. They have been rising for over a decade but have nearly doubled over the last few years.
What is typhus? Typhus is caused by a bacteria that is transferred to humans from animals such as rats, opossums and free-roaming cats. It can’t be spread from human to human. It causes flu-like symptoms including fever, headaches, muscle aches, and nausea. It’s treatable with antibiotics, especially if it’s caught early.
Read on … to learn how to protect yourself.
Public health officials are urging people to be wary of flea-borne typhus after a recent outbreak of the illness.
The outbreak in late July was centered in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. The L.A. County Department of Public Health said five people were hospitalized; all recovered.
The outbreak comes as typhus cases continue to tick up in L.A. County.
Cases have been increasing fairly steadily for more than a decade, but they nearly doubled over the last three years. The Public Health Department logged a record 220 cases in 2025, and officials say this year is on track to exceed that.
Public health officials say the increase is likely because human-animal interactions are also increasing. That could be due to human population expansions into areas with more animals, available food sources for wildlife in populated areas or more people owning pets.
The bacteria that causes typhus is transmitted from animals to humans through fleas.
Typhus can’t be passed from one human to another, and public health experts say the illness is completely treatable, especially if it’s caught early.
Most of the time, typhus cases are spread out across L.A. County. But sometimes, there’s a localized spread over a short period of time that turns into an outbreak.
Public health officials respond to a few of them in L.A. County each year.
Generally, outbreaks are triggered by high concentrations of host animals.
“Wherever these animals may be present or wherever they may be congregating, in those areas we can see an increase in the number of human infections,” said Dr. Aiman Halai with the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
The most common hosts for typhus are rats, opossums and free-roaming cats. When people or pets come in contact with host animals, they can pick up the infected fleas and bring them into homes, spreading them to other people and animals in the process.
Halai says a variety of factors can attract animals and lead to an outbreak, including overflowing dumpsters, overgrown vegetation or a well-meaning neighbor feeding local critters.
You can help prevent outbreaks by securing trash in bins, making sure food isn’t left outside, and ensuring pets are on up-to-date flea control medication. Cutting back overgrown vegetation and blocking off crawl spaces can eliminate places where animals can shelter in and around homes.
Halai also says it’s important not to feed wildlife.
Although public health experts are wary of the typhus uptick in L.A. County, the 220 cases recorded in 2025 in L.A. County are not overly concerning.
"That’s a very low rate at the population level,” said Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a professor of infectious diseases at USC’s Keck School of Medicine.
Typhus is an acute infection caused by bacteria known as Rickettsia typhi. Variations of the bacteria also cause other illnesses transmitted by fleas, ticks, lice and mites, including tick-borne Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
Doctors can test for typhus fairly easily, and it is treatable with antibiotics. Symptoms are similar to the flu, and can include fever, headaches, muscle aches and nausea. It can also cause rashes in some cases.
Most infections are mild, but they can cause hospitalization and, in rare cases, can be fatal.
Klausner said the concern is that testing for typhus is not always routine.
“The most important thing is that when patients come in to their doctor — and they have fever, they may have a rash, they may have headache, may have muscle or joint aches — that the doctor's thinking about potentially flea-borne infectious diseases because the treatment can be different,” Klausner said.
The best treatment for typhus is the antibiotic doxycycline. If a patient with typhus gets another type of antibiotic like penicillin or amoxicillin, the treatment may not be as successful.
According to Klausner, when presented with flu-like symptoms, it’s also a good idea for patients to tell their doctors if they’ve been around animals, spent time in an encampment or even just gone on a hike.
Topline:
Good news for frog fans — the California Fish and Game Commission voted this month to designate the Western spadefoot as a candidate for the state’s endangered species list. One thing that makes this frog unique? It smells like peanut butter.
Why it matters: The small amphibian is found in the grasslands of Southern California and the Central Valley. But habitat loss, urban sprawl and longer droughts have been threatening the species’ population in recent decades.
What happens next: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a year-long review to determine if the Western spadefoot should be permanently protected.
Topline:
Good news for frog fans — the California Fish and Game Commission voted this month to designate the Western spadefoot as a candidate for the state’s endangered species list. One thing that makes this frog unique? It smells like peanut butter.
Why it matters: The small amphibian is found in the grasslands of Southern California and the Central Valley. But habitat loss, urban sprawl and longer droughts have been threatening the species’ population in recent decades.
What the protections do: Now that the Western spadefoot is a candidate for permanent protections, any development project planned for Western spadefoot habitats will have to take the amphibians into account.
Some exceptions may apply: The commission did carve out exceptions for solar projects in the Central Valley. To take advantage of federal tax credit deadlines, some projects can continue to be built, as long as they protect breeding pools and curtail construction during the season when spadefoots are most active.
What conservationists say: Brendan Cummings, conservation director with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in Southern California the biggest threat to the Western spadefoot is not solar development: “It’s warehouses or data centers and road widenings and all manner of construction activities.”
What happens next: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will conduct a year-long review to determine if the Western spadefoot should be permanently protected.
Topline:
Fullerton city officials this week closed a multi-million dollar budget deficit without dipping into the city’s reserves. Some of the largest cuts were made to vacant city positions and library programming.
What happened: The City Council voted 3-2 to approve the budget on Tuesday night, with Councilmembers Ahmad Zahra and Shana Charles opposing the spending plan. Zahra called the cuts “drastic.”
Why the cuts matter: On the chopping block were 26 vacant positions from various departments, including Parks and Recreation, Police and Public Works. More than $400,000 was cut from the library budget for security, electronic resources and the book collections in the adult and teen sections.
The city’s graffiti removal team was reduced from two truck units to one.
How did we get here? City spending outpaces incoming revenue, according to city staff. The City Council rejected a sales tax measure to fill up the city coffers.
Why is the budget so late? The vote comes a month after the start of the new fiscal year because of an internal audit. Staff identified that nearly $10 million had been incorrectly categorized for specific uses rather than general spending. The city hired an independent auditing firm to look into the city’s accounting.
