Climate & Environment

Dear LAist: How long could ash be a problem in LA?

And are you safe if you live farther away? There’s no magic answer to these questions, but we break down what we know.

A close up of a burned tricycle with piles of ash around it.

A beloved Altadena school, destroyed in the Eaton fire, looks to the future

School officials are scrambling to find an alternate site for its campus while trying to support families, nearly half of whom lost their homes in the fire.

A woman wearing jeans, a dark sweater, and a face looks out on the burned remnants of a building. A brick column, still standing, can bee seen in the background.

Angeles National Forest and San Gabriels closed through January

Fire danger is at critical levels in the areas, which aren’t scheduled to reopen until Feb. 1.

A sign at the entrance of Angeles National Forest telling visitors that it's closed due to the fire hazard.

Rain and snow bring relief to SoCal, but also chaos to roads as officials worry about mudslides in fire zones

Malibu schools were also closed for the day amid worries about conditions.

Snow accumulates on a pile of fire-scarred wreckage.

Trump orders more Central Valley water deliveries — claiming it would help LA fires

Citing the L.A. fires, Trump directed federal agencies to “immediately take actions to override” water operations and environmental rules. But the water mostly serves Central Valley farms.

A waterway with concrete banks runs through an area with dry grass.

Altadena preps for the potential of heavy rain and mudslides, as other concerns persist

Heavy rain is in the forecast starting 4 p.m. on Sunday until Monday afternoon. Burn scars, in particular those around the Eaton Fire areas, might see the hardest impact.

A man in a beanie carries burlap bags on his shoulder.

And now there are two. Jackie and Shadow lay second egg

Big Bear’s internet famous bald eagle couple is getting another shot at parenthood.

The good, bad and ugly truths about LA tumbleweeds and their role in fires

Like many invasive plants in California, tumbleweeds heighten fire danger.

A lot of tumbleweeds on the street of Los Angeles

The Eaton Fire forced them from their homes. Here's what residents took with them

Many residents in Altadena evacuated not knowing it would be the last time they would see their homes standing. Their decisions about what possessions to take were rushed — or not made at all.

Forecast for heaviest period of rain lasts until Monday afternoon. What we know about risks for mudslides

The area of biggest concern is around the Eaton Fire. Parts of Malibu and the Pacific Palisades should also be prepared.

A home in the Romero Canyon area is surrounded by mud and debris.

At a Pasadena post office, people displaced by Eaton Fire share grief, hope, community

Displaced Altadena residents grieve and support their neighbors as they wait in line for mail.

Richard Castaneda stands and waits for his mail outside the Pasadena Post Office on Lincoln Ave. His home burned down in the 2025 Eaton Fire. He wares a weathered jean jacket. He has a bushy white mustache.

California approves $2.5 billion fire relief plan ahead of Trump’s Pacific Palisades visit

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a plan to provide $2.5 billion in relief to communities damaged by the Los Angeles fires ahead of President Donald Trump’s Friday tour of the Pacific Palisades.

A woman wearing dark clothing and man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and jeans embrace while standing in front of the remains of a burned out home. Another man wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt and jeans stands beside them.

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