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Five Major Fires Burning Across Los Angeles. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired January 09, 2025 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[13:01:12]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Hello. I'm Brianna Keilar with Boris Sanchez here in Washington.

Local officials in Los Angeles just gave an update on the historic wildfires tearing through one of the nation's most populated areas. Here's what we know. At least five people have been confirmed killed. Nearly 180,000 are under evacuation orders. And, right now, five wildfires are burning, three of them at zero containment.

The worst, the Palisades Fire, has burned through 17,000 acres, a level of destruction that the city has never seen before from a single wildfire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTIN CROWLEY, LOS ANGELES CITY, CALIFORNIA, FIRE CHIEF: Preliminary reports estimate the damage or destroyed structures to be in the thousands.

It is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Officials credit today's weaker winds for helping them stop sun flames from spreading, including the Sunset Fire that threatened the iconic Hollywood sign.

But, in Palisades, fires are still so prevalent that a man said he used pool water to try to douse some of the flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CLINTON, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: The water cut off, and we have just been pulling bucket at a time, bucket from the pool. Just there's no water up here. So we're just -- we're just doing whatever we can with shovels, with anything we got.

Just try to stay positive and stay as a community. And I give my heart out to my neighbors who have lost their life, lost their houses. And I just did what I could.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is east of the Palisades Fire. She's in Altadena, California, where the Eaton Fire is being blamed for all five confirmed deaths so far.

And, Julia, what are you seeing where you are?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's just destruction, Boris.

We're just getting a sense of how bad this fire really was. We're in an urban center. It's an urban area. The fire came from that direction. That's where the Angeles National Forest is. That's Eaton Canyon that gives name to this fire.

But this is just what we're seeing street after street here in Altadena, just complete destruction of entire neighborhoods, entire strips. And there is still that pattern of fire, where you see some structures behind me that haven't really been affected. But it is today a day where people are just coming to see what is it that happened to their homes, to check on them.

And it's a gamble, right? Like, about half of the people that are coming here are seeing their homes are completely gone. And some people have been lucky. A lot of them, like, one of the sound bites that you played earlier, people have been trying so hard to hold on to their property by dousing it with water, bringing buckets, opening their garden hoses to try and save what they have left.

But it's also a huge part of that is luck. And you mentioned the winds. The winds have died down here, and we can feel it. Right now, it looks like it's starting to pick up again. We're feeling a little bit of -- it's almost snow. We're just getting particles falling from the sky, a little bit of a notice that there might be more winds coming this afternoon.

That's what authorities are bracing for. In that update earlier today, we heard 180,000 people have been affected by evacuation orders; 213,000 people are without -- households, I should say, without power. But about half of those, Boris, are intentional, because downed power lines like we have seen all over Altadena are so dangerous, and they could spark even more fires.

[13:05:00]

So that's what they're trying to avoid.

KEILAR: And, Julia, water system officials have been addressing reports of hydrants not having enough water. Has that been a problem there in the Altadena area? And how are they explaining what's happened?

VARGAS JONES: It has.

We heard from residents that said, we're trying to turn on our faucets, turn on our garden hoses to try and keep our houses from getting engulfed in the flames, and it's just not happening. We saw firefighters trying to open some fire hydrants, and not getting

anything out of them. Of course, this is anecdotal, Brianna. I will make that clear. But, also, they it has to do with the way that the water system works. Officials said earlier today that it's just not built, the infrastructure is not built for this level of need, of demand for water.

And they're just trying to do the best they can to make sure that they're channeling that water to the places that need it the most right now.

SANCHEZ: And, Julia, officials have talked about curfews being imposed in Santa Monica and Malibu, largely because of concerns over looting. How significant a problem has that been?

VARGAS JONES: Look, I will tell you, yes, there have been about 20 people arrested, Boris, for looting and other similar crimes. It is a problem.

And I think there are people that are taking advantage of the situation. And every time that we went through a police line here in Altadena, we have been asked to show our credentials. People are very concerned to make sure that the only people allowed into these houses that are basically left unattended are members of the media or law enforcement or, of course, responders.

But at the same time, the overwhelming experience that we have had here is people trying to help. These situations of calamity that, frankly, is what we're seeing here, this is when we get to also see the best of people. And I choose to believe that that will prevail.

KEILAR: Let's hope so.

Julia, thank you so much for the update there from Altadena.

I want to bring in Jordan Catapano. This is video of her home after flames tore through a portion of Pacific Palisades. Jordan also owns and runs a business in the area.

Jordan, we're so sorry for the loss of your home. We're so glad that you're safe. Can you tell us what happened?

JORDAN CATAPANO, FIRE VICTIM: Well, thank you so much. Thank you, Brianna. We evacuated yesterday, my son and I. My husband and my daughter were out of town. We rode our e-bikes out, grabbed a couple belongings and fled, fled our home.

We went back yesterday and -- to look at it. And I caught that video. And everything was destroyed on our entire block. Everything is gone.

KEILAR: Everything is gone.

How many homes did you see that were gone, would you say?

CATAPANO: Dozens and dozens. We -- when we rode up, every -- pretty much every home we rode past was gone. There are pockets (AUDIO GAP) bluffs area that were well and standing, and we hope that that is still the case.

But my heart breaks for all of our neighbors and everyone affected in the Palisades for their loss. And it's devastating. And the recovery will certainly take a really long time. Nothing was left standing that was burnt. Chimney places were really the only thing that you could see. The rest was all debris and ashes.

KEILAR: And, Jordan, how are you -- how are you feeling? This is your neighborhood. You're also a business owner. And I know that has been impacted. How are you feeling right now?

CATAPANO: We kind of go between heartbreak and tears and extreme sadness to already trying to look ahead and see the positive. It's hard to dwell too much on yourself and your own situation, when everyone is experiencing the same loss.

So I think there's some sort of comfort in knowing that we're all in this together and we will all be Pali strong and rise up out of it, so to speak. And it's devastating for us. Our business was headquartered there, our bartending business, which is all of our equipment. We own a bartending company. All of that is lost, our equipment, our uniforms, our supplies.

But we worked from the ground up to build this company eight years ago, headquartered in Los Angeles. And the majority of our clients are all residents of the Palisades. We're fortunate that our mixer line is safe an hour-and-a-half away and that we have a silver lining of that business still standing, but we did make the unfortunate decision yesterday that we needed to close our bartending company indefinitely, which is very tragic for our staff and everyone.

[13:10:20]

But we're focusing on the positive, and so grateful for all the clients and neighbors we have had over the years. So many of them have lost their homes too. Losing our businesses is -- it is what it is. We just hope that everyone is safe out there and remains safe and healthy.

KEILAR: Yes, I mean, the devastation puts it into perspective, but it's tough. You lost your business.

And you said you're looking forward. When you say -- it sounds like you're thinking of rebuilding.

CATAPANO: Yes, we will rebuild our home, 100 percent. I was born and raised in San Diego. My husband was born and raised in Los Angeles. Our hearts are in California. We will definitely build.

And we want to come back to this community and we hope that everyone in our neighborhood and our Palisades community returns when they can. We know that the building process will take a long time. Just thinking about how long it's going to take to clear out all the debris will be quite a long time, but we will be back. We will be back.

KEILAR: Yes, well, the pictures that we are seeing are incredible. It's also incredible to listen to you and the determination of so many people from the area.

Jordan Catapano, thanks for being with us.

CATAPANO: Thank you so much.

KEILAR: And for more information about how you can help Los Angeles area wildfire victims, go to CNN.com/Impact or text Wildfires to 707070 to donate.

Still ahead: more dangerous winds expected to make firefighting efforts in Los Angeles County even more challenging. We will be talking to the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Los Angeles to see what concerns they may have here over the coming days.

SANCHEZ: And happening now, President Jimmy Carter's remains are heading back to his home state of Georgia, these live images coming from Joint Base Andrews after an emotional service in our nation's capital, as dignitaries, family and friends honor the 39th president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STUART EIZENSTAT, FORMER CARTER WHITE HOUSE DOMESTIC POLICY ADVISER: The test of American presidents is not the number of years they serve, but the duration of their accomplishments. By this measure, Jimmy Carter was among the most consequential one-term presidents in American history.

His intellect, prodigious work habits, discipline, and mastery of details were crucial to his success at home and abroad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:17:13]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OLIVER ALLNATT, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: I just haven't seen anything quite like this. The imagery of this is next level, shocking. I mean, I was down to my knees when I got up to my parents' house with just sheer amazement at what I was looking at, which was basically just a chimney stack and a pile of ash. I mean, it's something out of a movie.

KIMBERLY DEVANE, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: It's Armageddon. I'm driving through a war zone right now, and I don't even know what to say. I'm speechless. I'm shocked. I'm just so sad for our devastated community. We lost 600 fires -- homes in the Woolsey Fire, one of which was mine. And now I don't even know how we're going to be able to recover from this.

ORLY ISRAEL, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: Every time I watch this video, I got to watch myself running away from the battle of a lifetime. The sound of these fire alarms going off everywhere in the house. Every time this video plays is just crazy. And then we fought the fire

until we my eyes are burnt, my face is burnt. We gave it our all. And, also, we stayed there way longer than anyone should have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Residents impacted by the fires in Southern California, you heard them there expressing shock and grief at seeing their homes go up in flames. Many of them are likely to return to nothing but ashes.

You're looking at some of the destruction from the Palisades Fire, completely decimating this home in Malibu.

Let's discuss how the weather might actually help firefighting efforts with Ariel Cohen. He's the meteorologist in charge for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles and Oxnard.

Ariel, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon.

Firefighters have gotten a break from some of the violent winds we have been seeing over the last few days this morning, but there is concern that there are more wind gusts coming in over the weekend. How do you see this window of time now playing out?

ARIEL COHEN, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: We are far from out of the woods. That window of time when the winds have decreased in many areas is quickly coming to a close.

We're already seeing wind gusts over 50 to 60 miles per hour over the mountains, and those will be spreading down into the valleys of Western Los Angeles County, all the way through the Santa Monica Mountains to the Malibu coast, where we're expecting high and red flag warning conditions to become reestablished within the next two to three hours, and then continue through the evening overnight hours and into Friday, with those warnings remaining in effect until Friday evening.

Now, I want to make very clear we are not expecting the winds to be as powerful, as destructive in terms of structural damage as we experienced yesterday and over the last 24 to 36 hours. Nevertheless, they will be strong enough for significant fire growth, extreme and explosive fire behavior, and a significant threat to life and property.

[13:20:15]

SANCHEZ: Ariel, we're supposed to be in rainy season in Southern California. Is there anything in the forecast that gives you hope for some rain?

COHEN: Right now, nothing. It looks very dry for quite a long time.

And the main message here is that, with more bouts of offshore winds, Santa Ana winds next week periodically coming up and down, we're going to have more cases of elevated to critical fire weather conditions across the region. I can't emphasize it enough. These scenes are tragic. These are our

communities. I personally have gone hiking throughout the Palisades area quite frequently, Runyon Canyon, Hollywood Hills. It's heartbreaking seeing these scenes.

And, unfortunately, the landscape is set with a tremendous fuel loading from the rains earlier that have dried out significantly for those fuels, that the potential for additional significant fire episodes is there. And it is so important that everyone remain at a high state of readiness, have multiple ways to receive emergency alert information.

When the evacuation orders come from emergency management officials and law enforcement, you must take those orders seriously. You have to take action immediately when those orders come. It's a life-and-death situation.

SANCHEZ: Yes, absolutely. That's fantastic advice.

I do wonder about that sort of boom-and-then-bust cycle that you're describing when it comes to humidity, because, over the last two years, there's been an intense amount of moisture across California. But then, this year, because it's been so dry and that moisture has elevated the amount of brush in the area, it's essentially created more fuel for fires like this.

So I wonder, do you agree with Governor Gavin Newsom that the fire season in California doesn't exist anymore, that this is now a year- round threat?

COHEN: This is definitely something that can happen at any time of the year. There's no limit when -- the meteorological conditions, the weather conditions, they're not worried about what month it is.

When the weather conditions come together just right, then we can see the development of destructive fires at any time of the year, which underscores the importance of always being prepared, always being vigilant, having a plan of action, having your go kit all ready to go, not just some of the year, but the entire year all the time.

And when those evacuation orders come, take it seriously. Seconds can save your life.

SANCHEZ: Ariel Cohen, thank you so much for sharing your perspective with us. We very much appreciate you sharing the message.

COHEN: I want to just share our deepest sympathies on behalf of the National Weather Service for everyone who has experienced the impacts from these fires. Our hearts go out to you. Stay safe, everyone.

SANCHEZ: And no doubt about that. Our hearts are with them.

Ariel, thank you so much.

The scenes out of California spotlight what has become a growing problem. Insurers in California have been refusing to write new policies in areas that they consider high risk for fires. The state's insurance commissioner has been sounding the alarm on this crisis, and we're going to speak to them in just a moment.

Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:28:25]

KEILAR: Southern Californians are beginning to take stock of their catastrophic losses from deadly wildfires still devastating the greater Los Angeles area.

Here's what we know. The latest fire, the Sunset Fire, broke out last night in the Hollywood Hills. Fortunately, the neighborhood's mandatory evacuation order was lifted this morning. But the Palisades Fire continues to expand, and it has surpassed 17,000 acres with zero containment.

At least five people are dead from the Eaton Fire that is burning to the east in Altadena, but officials say it's unclear exactly how many people have actually been killed. Evacuation orders are still in place as thousands of homes and buildings continue to burn, and the poor air quality is forcing the closure of numerous school districts.

The aftermath is so hard to comprehend here, flattened neighborhood blocks now abandoned, with burnt-out shells of cars just lining the streets. L.A. County's fire chief said the cause remains unknown, but firefighters are catching a break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY MARRONE, LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, FIRE CHIEF: The Eaton Fire remains estimated to be 10,600 acres, and growth has been significantly stopped. And we have zero percent containment.

We have over 879 firefighting personnel assigned, and mutual aid resources continue to arrive to assist with this firefight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: CNN's Kyung Lah is on the ground in Altadena.

Kyung, give us a sense of what it's like where you are and also what the winds are like, as they're trying to make some progress, if they can.