gcash player LA fires: More evacuation orders lifted as winds remain calm

A fire engine is driven past a burned structure after the Eaton Fire Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

ALTADENA – More evacuation orders were lifted Saturday as containment of the Eaton Fire grew to 73 percent, up overnight from 65 percent, with firefighters aided by water-dropping helicopters extinguishing hot spots in steep, inaccessible canyons near Winters Creek, Mt. Lowe and Mt. Wilson.

Winds are expected to remain calm through the weekend, but another Santa Ana wind event is expected to move in Monday and Tuesday, creating a high risk for critical fire weather conditions and rapid fire spread of any new fires.

Isolated gusts could reach 50 to 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

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“Today, the incident (team) will continue infrastructure assessments, ensuring safety of personnel and equipment working in the area,” Cal Fire officials said Saturday.

“The Hazmat response will remain active, providing decontamination to personnel and equipment as needed. Air Operations will continue to assist firefighters in extinguishing hot spots that are inaccessible by ground. Containment continues to grow, with a total of 60 miles of control lines established around the fire’s perimeter, including 8 miles of hand lines. As repopulation efforts progress, the focus remains on ensuring that people are brought back into a safe and secure environment.”

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Evacuation orders were lifted Saturday for three areas of Altadena, while evacuation warnings were lifted Saturday for the following areas of Altadena.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for Integrated Sciences Carlos Primo David during a forum organized by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) said the DENR rolled out a digital application process in three regions of the country.

— South of Church Canyon Place, east of Old Toll Road, west of Sunset Ridge Road; — North of New York Drive, east of Altadena Drive, west of Eaton Canyon Trail; — South of Kinclair Drive, east of Kinneloa Canyon Road, west of Eaton Canyon Drive; — Southwest of Altadena Drive, north of New York Drive, east of Allen Avenue

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Officials have completed inspections for 90 percent of the structures in the fire area, and so far nearly 9,000 structures have been reported destroyed, with nearly 12,000 more threatened.

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An evacuation center remained open at the Pasadena Convention Center at 300 E. Green St.

On Friday afternoon, evacuation orders were lifted in areas southwest of Altadena Drive, north of New York Drive and east of Allen Avenue; an area east of Lake Avenue and south of Mendocino Lane; and south of Church Canyon Place, east of Old Toll Road and west of Sunset Ridge Road.

On Thursday afternoon, residents along Canyon Crest Road into The Meadows east of El Prieto Road were permitted to return home. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Thursday he anticipates the bulk of the evacuation orders in the fire area will remain in place for at least another week, likely longer.

A curfew remains in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas, with only firefighters, law enforcement and utility workers allowed in those zones.

The fire has burned 14,117 acres in Altadena and Pasadena since breaking out Jan. 7, leaving at least 16 people dead.

SoCalGas officials temporarily shut off natural gas service to thousands of customers in the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities as a safety measure.

As of Saturday, the utility had restored service to 1,910 of those, with approximately 5,500 homes ready for potential restoration.

There were 2,782 personnel assigned to the firefighting effort as of Saturday, Cal Fire reported.

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday that he will “probably” travel to California next week to view the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.

“I will be, probably, at the end of the week,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

You may like: Trump’s first trip as president will be to view aftermath of LA fires, says report

“I was going to go, actually yesterday,” the president-elect added, “but I thought it would be better if I went as president. It’s a little bit more appropriate, I suspect.”

Trump is set to be inaugurated on Monday.

The Eaton Fire was reported about 6:20 p.m. Jan. 7 in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the hills above Altadena amid hurricane force Santa Ana winds, according to Cal Fire.

The cause of the fire has not been determined. (CNS)

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