Firefighting aircraft collides with drone over Palisades Fire
A firefighting aircraft struck a drone while it was operating over the Palisades Fire on Thursday evening, aviation authorities say.
The aircraft, nicknamed a Super Scooper, suffered a hole in its wing but landed safely. Nobody was injured, the Federal Aviation Administration said, adding that the incident was under investigation.
“Flying a drone near a wildfire is dangerous and can cost lives,” it said, noting that this could cause aircraft to be grounded.
“Delaying airborne response poses a threat to firefighters on the ground, residents, and property in nearby communities, and it can allow wildfires to grow larger.”
Flying a drone in the midst of firefighting efforts is a federal crime, and punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a fine of up to $75,000.
Las Vegas warns drivers as LA power outages hit fuel pipeline
Las Vegas officials have warned drivers to avoid heavy use of their cars due to disruptions to a fuel pipeline from Los Angeles, more than 500 miles away.
Officials say the announcement was being made “in an abundance of caution” after a key pipeline was hit by a power cut.
Fuel pipeline operator Kinder Morgan says its CalNev pipeline – which transports petrol, diesel and jet fuel from California to Las Vegas – has been shut since 8 January.
The firm also says its SFPP West pipeline – which carries fuel from the Los Angeles Basin to the cities of Colton and Imperial, California, and to Phoenix, Arizona – is closed due to a power outage.
Kinder Morgan says neither of the pipelines have been directly impacted by the blazes and it expects them to start working again as soon as the outages are over.
Army personnel to support law enforcement as looting cases rise
California’s military department has deployed to support law enforcement, amid a rise in looting and theft in some evacuated neighbourhoods.
“Taking advantage of evacuated communities is absolutely sick. Looting will not be tolerated,” California governor Gavin Newsom said in an X post on the army officers’ arrival.
At least 20 people have been arrested on suspicion of looting during the wildfires.
Death toll rises to 10
The death toll from the wildfires has risen to 10, authorities say.
The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner says the remains of these people are still being identified.
“The identification may take several weeks as the Department of Medical Examiner is not able to respond to all death locations due to the fire conditions and safety concerns,” they said in a statement on Thursday night.
The process of notifying the victims’s legal next of kin is also under way.
Possible arson suspect taken into custody near Palisades fire
Los Angeles police say they have detained a man suspected of trying to light a fire in the Woodland Hills area of the city.
A statement said that, at 16:32 local time on Thursday (00:32 GMT on Friday), officers received a call about a “possible arson suspect on the 21700 block of Ybarra Road”.
“Comments of the call stated a male was heard stating a suspect was ‘attempting to light a fire’,” it said.
“The suspect is in custody and was transported to Topanga Station.”
Ybarra Road is immediately north of the area where the Palisades fire has been burning since Tuesday, but police stressed that an investigation was continuing and that they could not confirm “any connection to any fire by this suspect at this time”.
Nearly 800 inmates fighting the wildfires
Claire Betzer
Reporting from DC
California’s Department of Corrections confirmed to the BBC that nearly 800 incarcerated individuals are embedded with CalFire to slow the spread of the wildfires, as part of a voluntary program.
CalFire has about 4,700 of its own first responders deployed now, so it’s a surprisingly significant number of incarcerated people supporting the response.
The California department of corrections and rehabilitation runs firefighting training camps across the state for prison inmates, who support authorities’ disaster response.
Over 1,800 incarcerated volunteer firefighters are housed in these camps, officials said. They typically earn little to no pay, according to rights groups.
In Pictures: The aftermath of LA’s devastating wildfires
Entire houses have been torched to the ground as the worst wildfires in Los Angeles’ history tear through the city’s neighbourhoods.
As firefighting efforts continue for a third day, some residents have returned to clear the debris that’s left of their homes.
Neighbouring states pitch in to help fight the blazes
Resources to combat the California wildfires are being pulled in from multiple states – including Oregon, Utah and Nevada – said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The department also announced that firefighters, aviation assets, and other support staff from the California National Guard have joined firefighting efforts.
This comes in addition to the Cal Guard’s earlier deployment of helicopters, aircraft, and personnel to Southern California.
What’s the status of the California fires?
There are currently five fires burning in the Los Angeles area. Here’s the current status for each:
- Palisades Fire: The largest of the five fires, almost 20,000 acres are currently burning in the Pacific Palisades. Six percent of the fire is contained.
- Eaton Fire: Nearly 14,000 acres are burning from the Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena. Zero percent is contained.
- Kenneth Fire: The newest of the five fires, around 960 acres are impacted in both Los Angeles and Ventura counties in West Hills, California. Zero percent is contained.
- Hurst Fire: Fire officials are making some progress containing nearly 700 acres burning near Sylmar. Around 10% of the fire is contained.
- Lidia Fire: Nearly 400 acres are affected near Soledad Canyon Road in the town of Acton, California. Fire officials have contained 60% of the fire.
