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Five Wildfires Burning Around Los Angeles, Newest In Hollywood Hills; Anxiety And Outrage Over Trump's Calls To Annex Greenland. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 09, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:11]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York.
We are following breaking news in Southern California, where the wildfires are raging for a second night in a row across the L.A. area, now spreading to the Hollywood Hills. That new fire, which just broke out in the last few hours, now means at least five are burning currently in L.A. County. And while the winds have decreased slightly, they are still erratic and gusty. And fire officials saying that the danger is far from over.
Residents have been describing what they're seeing as just an apocalypse, and it's really only getting worse. At least five people have died in one of these fires. Overall, more than a thousand buildings and other structures have been destroyed. California Governor Gavin Newsom calling it complete and utter devastation.
I want to show you really a bird's eye view of the situation, and a map showing where this is happening right now. The two largest fires are the Palisades Fire, covering more than 15,000 acres, which, by the way, started at only 10 yesterday. And then there's the Eaton Fire and more than -- which has burned now more than 10,000 acres. Neither one of those has been contained at all. And that's why officials say everyone in these communities must do whatever they can to keep themselves informed and keep themselves safe.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR KAREN BASS, LOS ANGELES MAYOR: We are still facing strong and erratic winds in Palisades and in Sylmar. We are very much in an active firefight. I can report to you that the Woodley Fire, however, in the Sepulveda Basin, is under control. I can also report that finally, air operations have resumed and that is a big deal but it is up to the winds as to how long the air support can continue.
But these conditions are highly volatile. We've seen a devastating fire in the Pasadena area. Fires have sparked up in Simi Valley and on the L.A. and Ventura County line. And as our firefighters do battle on the frontlines, all of us must be vigilant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: The mayor of L.A. there offering a sign of at least some progress.
CNN's Nick Watt has been on the scene since the fires broke out on Tuesday. He has the very latest from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just have one bag to pick.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No time, Mom. Just get out of the house.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just look at that view out her window. And this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, let's get out of here. We tried, we tried, bro.
WATT: Approximately 155,000 people have been ordered or advised to evacuate.
SHERIFF JIM MCDONNELL, LOS ANGELES COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT: That makes the difference between living and not.
WATT: Flames hopped major roads, including the fabled Pacific Coast Highway.
CHIEF KRISTIN M. CROWLEY, LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: We're absolutely not out of danger yet with the strong winds that continue to push through the city and the county today.
WATT: Those strong Santa Ana Winds were forecast. We knew something was coming, just not this. Officials say they prepped for maybe one or two fires.
CHIEF ANTHONY MARRONE, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: There are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm acting calm, but I'm really very upset inside.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This year we knew with zero rain that one big windstorm, and we were toast. It seems like a lot of the homes here they're burning because of embers that have landed in bushes and are lighting.
WATT: Wind gusts in SoCal hit 100 miles per hour, driving flames through bone dry brush and homes. Utter devastation in the desirable neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. This is Palisades Village, the now barely recognizable (INAUDIBLE) downtown. We were here last night as those winds were picking up. In the early hours the fire hydrants here ran dry.
JENISSE QUINONES, CEO, LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER: We were not able to fill the stands fast enough, so the consumption of water was faster than we can provide water.
WATT: The Palisades Fire already among the 20 worst in California's recorded history, and 15 of those have hit in just the past decade. As our climate changes and our planet warms.
MCDONNELL: This is a tragic time in our history here in Los Angeles, but a time where we're really tested and see who we really are.
WATT (on-camera): Pacific Palisades still burning. This community has lost hundreds, maybe thousands of homes, and also its infrastructure. The library, the theater, the school, the bank, the grocery stores gone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: From one of our teams on the ground to another. CNN's Leigh Waldman following us, or at least following developments very closely there from the scene.
[00:05:04]
Leigh, where are you right now? And also, can you tell us more about what you've actually seen since your team arrived in Pacific Palisades? Were any businesses even spared?
LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Polo, we're here not far from where Nick was earlier today here in Pacific Palisades. And no, no businesses were spared. We'll get out of the way. You can see one of those businesses, the embers of it still burning right now. A few hours ago, that was two different businesses still standing. It was an art gallery, a gallery of some kind. Massive flames shooting at the top of that building before it started to crumble in on itself.
It was shooting embers across the street. But if we go and look across the street here, all of the businesses that were once standing here in this neighborhood completely left in rubble, there was hot spots that were burning as these winds pick up. Off in the distance there, you can see an active fire still burning wind is making this so much more difficult. We have a wind gust kicking up right now.
That is what's fueling not only this fire, but the five other fires that are currently burning in L.A. County. This fire is not discriminating against any of the businesses, any of the homes that are here in Pacific Palisades or any of the other communities affected by the six wildfires that are burning here. We've seen firefighters in their engines driving down these streets, having to pass by these fires and these businesses that are on fire because they have to respond to something that's more urgent.
They're prioritizing lives, people's homes, over businesses that just simply can't be spared here in the Pacific Palisades. It's a heartbreaking scene to see so many people's livelihoods just in ruins today.
SANDOVAL: Yes, firefighters are on the ground, Leigh, having to carry out a form of triage, having to pick exactly what homes they should be focusing on, while with others it may simply be too late.
On the question of firefighters, Leigh, it's now been over something about 30 hours since the first 911 call came in about the first fire. Emergency crews now have been working ever since. Are they already receiving backup from other communities? Is the backup there? Has it been promised to them? What are you hearing?
WALDMAN: So we heard earlier from Governor Gavin Newsom's office. He said that right now there is 7500 firefighting and emergency crews from California fighting all six of these wildfires right now. But we do know that there is help coming from other surrounding states, predominantly from Nevada coming into California to help with these fire crews. We know that some of these crews are working 36 to 48 hour shifts right now.
They're spread very thin. The L.A. fire chief said if there was two wildfires, that's something that they could handle. But now that there are six wildfires burning here, this is more than they can handle. Their crews are spread so incredibly thin throughout here. We also know that the wind earlier this morning was too much for an aerial response. Thankfully, the wind, even though it's still gusting, has died down so they can pick back up that aerial response.
The Navy has sent in 10 helicopters at least to help with that aerial response, to try and get these fires under control. We know how crucial that response can be as firefighters try to attack from the ground but also from above.
SANDOVAL: And Leigh, before we let you go, what are residents telling you right now?
WALDMAN: Well, thankfully in this area, Polo, we haven't been able to talk to people because they've gotten out of here. We drove into the Pacific Palisades today from LAX when we got here from New York, and it was a ghost town. And that shows that people took those evacuation orders so seriously. But we were astonished. And everyone keeps saying apocalyptic, but that doesn't begin to cover it.
We showed you the businesses on the other side of this road here. It is horrendous what is left behind in this fire's wake. Thankfully, there's no one here to talk to, and we're glad that there's no one here to talk to. My heart breaks for when people come back to their businesses, to their homes, and see what's left behind here. But thankfully, we haven't been able to talk to anyone because they've gotten somewhere safe.
SANDOVAL: We're thankful to have you there as well as your team. Stay safe and we'll check back with you. Thank you.
All right, let's go now to Tanner Charles. He is actually a storm chaser who was working to save a friend's house from the Palisades Fire. He joins us live from Los Angeles.
Tanner, thank you very much for taking the time to share your story. You went over to help a friend fight the fire until you both had to retreat for your own safety, which is obviously the right decision here. Talk me through the moment when you decided to rather than evacuate and leave the scene, to stick around and help somebody who needed that help.
[00:10:02]
TANNER CHARLES, STORM CHASER, ESCAPED FROM PALISADES FIRE: Yes. So actually, I was on my way to just to document the fire and just to see if I could help anyone. I knew I had some friends in the Palisades, Palisade area, but the person I ended up meeting was my friend Orly. And so Orly came up and he was just -- he was in his car, and he was preparing to evacuate and that kind of thing. And I was like, hey, man, would you want to help me kind of just like document what's going on and like just, you know, keep tabs on the fire.
And so he said, yes. And so we went up to the ridge just to watch the flames and where things were going. And I, you know, I report on what's going on to people who follow me on social media and that kind of thing, just kind of helping people know what's going on. As the flames were getting closer, I also realized that his house, that Orly's house was actually right down the road.
And so as the flames were getting closer, I was like, hey, man, we should head to your house and we should actually start doing what we can to prep your house just to, you know, to fireproof the house, if you will. And so as we went down, we met a few other folks down there. We're on the leading edge of the fires. And so when embers would come down, we would try and douse them out or put out the embers as much as we could.
We tried to just, like, just do what we could on the edge of the fire to keep home safe and that kind of thing. But eventually it got -- it was -- yes, it got too much. As you saw in the video, there, there was just a point where I was hosing the front yard. He was hosing the backyard. We met in the middle of his house just to reconvene and see how we're doing, just to like a check in. And then as I looked over, I saw that just a bunch of these embers went into his yard and just engulfed the whole the whole yard, like the whole fence just went up.
The brush went up. Everything in his yard just like engulfed in flames. And so we went out there for like two seconds. And as we went out there, I was just like, we can't. There's nothing we can do. Like it's not safe anymore. We have to leave. And so my thought --
SANDOVAL: It's a very tough moment, I'm sure.
CHARLES: It was -- it's difficult because, you know, my friend grew up in this house. You know, this was his like, you know, it's him and his family. You know, this is where they grew up and everything. And so it's really hard. But also it's not worth losing your life over. And so, making the right decision to leave was -- it was the right decision. So --
SANDOVAL: We've heard so many stories such as yours of neighbors helping neighbors. And as we -- as you answer this next question, we're also showing our viewers some of these live pictures of what is still happening a day later. It seems really that firefighters have really struggled to make any progress as we're looking right now in live pictures of a building ablaze, and it's one of many.
So I wonder, as we begin to hear more of these stories of resiliency, of neighbors helping others, is this really quite common where you live, and can we expect more of these stories to emerge during the recovery?
CHARLES: Yes, all throughout the neighborhood, especially in the Palisade area, there was just -- I just saw neighbors helping neighbors. There was even one specific person that had his home, like he had like a home, homemade hose that he like hooked up and was able to, like, douse his house and his neighbor houses and that kind of thing. I saw other neighbors just helping other neighbors, like, pack up their cars and that kind of thing.
And so I think one of the silver linings when it comes to these disasters is that community really rallies around each other, you know, they really try and help each other when they can. And so even my friend Orly, he was just saying earlier today that he just feels so loved and taken care of because his phone keeps blowing up of people just saying, hey, if you need anything, you know, my house is here.
You know, you can stay here for however long you want. If you need food or water or anything, if you need like extra clothes. So like, just like seeing the community come out and seeing friends come out just to help out each other is really encouraging.
SANDOVAL: How long have you lived in the region?
CHARLES: And so I am originally from Minnesota, but I lived here for about six months and so, Orly has lived here for more than 25 years. And then his parents have lived here even longer. And so, just coming up here and just being around everyone has been really encouraging for me. I come from a place called -- it's called Minnesota nice. You know, but I really feel like that also extends down here, that there is a California nice that that happens when disaster happens.
SANDOVAL: Less than a year living in the region. What an experience. But we're thankful that you're around to tell us about it, and especially that you were there for your friend.
Charles, we thank you for sharing your story and for documenting other stories like these as a storm chaser. Do be safe.
CHARLES: Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much.
SANDOVAL: You bet.
[00:15:03]
All right. U.S. President Joe Biden he has canceled a planned trip to Rome to focus on the federal response to these ongoing wildfires. The president was already in the Los Angeles area for the birth of his great grandchild when the fires broke out. He received an update from local officials in Santa Monica on Wednesday. He says the federal government will do anything and offer everything that it can for as long as it takes to help communities contain the fires and also to be able to rebuild. And he's urging residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings from local officials.
Still ahead tonight on CNN, I'll be speaking with an L.A. fire captain, a fire department captain, about the efforts to contain five wildfires across the region. That number recently, now going up to six. Our breaking news coverage continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:20:17]
SANDOVAL: Evacuation orders are expanding as more wildfires have wrought in and around the L.A. area. At least five fires now burning. That number now up to six. Most of them still out of control. The Palisades Fire, the largest one with over 15,000 acres burned. Remember when it started it was only 10 acres. It was originally called in yesterday.
The Eaton Fire farther east in Altadena, that's being blamed for at least five deaths. Tens of thousands of residents are being forced to flee their homes. And some of those high winds continue to blow embers, keeping firefighters from getting the upper hand.
A new brush fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles late Wednesday. Firefighters there say these are some of the most historic and worst fire conditions on record.
Check out the situation, what it looks like across the region. Other blazes are burning across that region, dangerously close to key landmarks, which you can see on that map. Authorities saying that the Lidia Fire is the only one partially contained, and even then it's only at 40 percent.
For more, we're joined by L.A. Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh.
Captain, thank you so much for joining us and for keeping us constantly up to speed for well over a day now. I wonder if you can tell us right now about the latest fire to break out.
CAPT. SHEILA KELLIHER BERKOH, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: So we have that Sunset Fire, which is in kind of the Hollywood Hills area. And right now the last report it's still sitting at about 10 acres. I did see some video footage, and there is some pretty extreme fire and flame links right there. So they may have hit a really strong fuel pocket in there. All I can hope is that the wind is really starting to die down a little bit now compared to 70, 80-mile-an-hour winds that we had yesterday.
Even 40-mile-an-hour can still cause a lot of damage. So, they're throwing a bunch of resources at it and pulling everybody so they can contain that because there is definitely in the path, you know, moving down with the wind are structures. So that's really a concern. So they're really trying to do everything they can to catch this one quickly.
SANDOVAL: And with things getting worse, Captain, I wonder just how much more pressure this new fire puts on those firefighters who have been working tirelessly since yesterday.
BERKOH: Yes. Well, definitely, you know, we'll have other firefighters come in and rotate in the mutual aid that we've called in from Northern California and other states are starting to arrive. So we've got those guys in backup. So they're sitting in the dugout saying, put me in, coach. So hopefully we get some fresh legs in there, some fresh bodies in there, because 24 hours of doing this and you're pretty spent.
It's time to get 12 hours off that fire line and get recovered so you can get back out there because this is going to be a long, hard overhaul and a lot more work over the next week plus.
SANDOVAL: Right. If there is perhaps a silver lining is in the fire business there's no shortage of brave men and women elsewhere that are more than willing to come in to back up their brothers and sisters in uniform.
BERKOH: Yes. We appreciate that family. Yes. For sure.
SANDOVAL: I wonder if we could sort of look ahead. What could be the next areas of concern, Captain?
BERKOH: Well, I'm really hoping that the weather service is correct and that these winds are really dying down. I know in my house they -- I'm in West Hills. They were blowing strongly at 65-mile-an-hour last night and into this morning. And as I come out here today, they're maybe about 15 miles an hour. So they've definitely really curtailed through the one-on-one corridor. As I traveled through there it is definitely slowed down.
It's not gone, but the trend is moving in the right direction. And that's what the forecasts show. So if that can keep it keep going in that trajectory, that's going to give us a chance to really, you know, get one up on this and really, you know, get the upper hand.
SANDOVAL: And as if firefighting wasn't difficult and dangerous enough really can you -- I wonder if you could speak to or at least offer some insight on the very difficult on-the-spot decisions that these firefighters have had to make on the very spot, with the resources stretched to capacity. What are the signs that they look for in deciding what houses may be just too consumed by flames?
BERKOH: Yes, you know, it is -- it's always a tough decision because that's somebody's house. But it's kind of like triaging if you, you know, I'm a paramedic and a lot of us are paramedics as well. And we deal with a lot of medical issues. So when you go on a multi-casualty incident, you know, you triage those patients and you get the most serious ones that you can save first. The ones that aren't as bad, you kind of let them, you know, take care of themselves for a few minutes and then there's ones there's nothing you can do to help them. So you're not going to waste your resources and time because you're going to lose a savable patient.
So houses are a lot that way. A lot has to do with building construction, where that fire is consuming, and if it's all through the attic, that means the house is pretty much a total loss, and you could see that by the smoke coming out the eaves.
[00:25:09]
The brush, the density of brush around the home. Have they done their brush clearance? All that is hard to mitigate with the water that we have in the one or two engines that we have. So, it's definitely a triage process. And I think they do the best they can with what they have, especially with that wind.
SANDOVAL: I can only imagine what it's like for them.
And then finally, Captain, I wonder what your message is to people who have not received evacuation orders, but they may also be living very close to the affected region. Should they actually wait to be told to leave?
BERKOH: I think listening to, you know, your officials is really important because we are looking at everything. We're looking at topography, we're looking at wind, we're looking at speed, direction, all of that. So the warnings are just saying, hey, there is something close. So if the wind changes or if it keeps going this way, you might want to start packing your things up. And order means you need to get out now because you could be in harm's way in a very short period of time.
So that just comes down to personal, you know, accountability and awareness. There are so many great apps out there. There's one called Genesis Protect that is geared for -- but not all the communities have it yet but boy, it's pretty widespread across Southern California right now. And that can pinpoint exactly in your area when you sign up what your evacuation orders and warnings are.
So that's a good way to keep up. There's a great app called Watch Duty, which kind of accumulates all this information so you can see in real time what's happening. So just paying attention in all the social medias for all your local agencies do a really good job of trying to get that information out.
SANDOVAL: Closing out with some potentially life-saving recommendations there.
Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh of the L.A. Fire Department, we'll let you go. I know you're extremely busy. Thank you for keeping us posted.
BERKOH: Thank you. Appreciate you. Good night.
SANDOVAL: Our breaking news coverage of the wildfires in Southern California continues. Our Anderson Cooper will take us to a neighborhood in Altadena, where the second largest fire is still out of control.
Also, as parts of California burn, Donald Trump taking jabs at the state's governor. We'll tell you more after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANDOVAL: More now on our breaking news on the wildfires that are raging in Southern California.
[00:31:49]
Crews are now battling five major fires across the L.A. area. The newest is on the top of the iconic Hollywood Hills neighborhood, where new evacuations have already been ordered. Overall, about 150,000 people throughout the region have been ordered to evacuate.
Most of these fires are not contained at all. In fact, they continue to be fueled by some really strong, erratic, gusty winds.
At least five people have already been confirmed dead and more than a thousand buildings and other structures have been destroyed, including many, many homes.
Our Anderson Cooper is in Altadena, California, where he says the fires are still just out of control. He shows us some of the heartbreaking devastation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: There just are not enough fire crews able to deal with all the blazes that are going on. This house is completely gone. The next house next door looks like the roof has just caught fire over there.
The fire has also spread across the street. There are at least three houses ablaze.
And then, the fire in just in the last two minutes or three minutes has spread to that vehicle, which was parked out front. There was a slight explosion as some of the gas went up. A fire truck passed by here.
There's another larger blaze up there which they are going to try to -- to deal with right now. We're at Harriet in Altadena, Harriet Street.
The fire has spread now to this house, which is really now engulfed in flames.
But, I mean, it's just surreal. I mean, look at this. Even a small thing like this tree is burning from the inside.
So, on this block, I count one, two. I mean, all the houses -- all the houses on this side are gone.
Now, the fire -- Look, this house is engulfed. It's very much likely that this house will be next, because these winds are now just whipping onto this house.
Yes, it is just devastating. And what's so surreal is look down the block. It is block after block here in this area in Altadena.
I mean, there's a large -- a huge fire there, burning several houses. Any other time there would be fire crews blocking off this entire area. But there's just too many fires, and they've just got to -- it's triage.
COOPER (voice-over): We come upon Captain Chris Donelli of the L.A. Fire Department. His crew have been out more than 24 hours.
COOPER: How's water? I mean, obviously, the Palisades have had water issues.
CHRIS DONELLI, LA FIRE DEPARTMENT: Our hydrant ran dry about two minutes ago.
COOPER: And is that the -- the water pressure issue or --
DONELLI: We are -- because there's so many engines tapping the grid in multiple grids. We're basically just taking all the water out of the grid.
COOPER: So, what do you do? I mean, you want to fight these fires?
DONELLI: We do have water tenders, vehicles that shuttle water to us that carry 2,500 gallons of water.
But again, they're stretched thin, as well. So, they have a lot of demand placed on them.
COOPER: So, on a scene like this right now, what can you do?
DONELLI: We are looking at houses that we can save. So, things that we can do, we can clear brush away from fences, things that we can do with our hands or with tools. And we just helped some homeowners get out. So, just -- I mean, first thing is rescue operations.
We want you out. Houses can be replaced, all that. Lives cannot.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: Back-up for those fire crews cannot come soon enough.
Anderson also spoke with California Governor Gavin Newsom about efforts to contain the fires and the eventual recovery process. Here's what he told him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: A lot of these firefighters I was talking to on the street, they've been working, you know, 26, 27 hours. Are they -- that's just going to continue. I mean, there's -- I mean, there's enough folks here.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Yes. I mean, we've got a few thousand people working on this, and luckily, we were fully staffed. The U.S. Forest Service is not as staffed up traditionally at this time of year. Remember, we're in January.
COOPER: It's supposed to be wet this time of year.
NEWSOM: It's supposed to be wet. I mean, so this is -- you know, this is anomalous. Even -- you know, remember, Paradise happened in November. I mean, so there's no fire season in California. It's year- round.
But to have this level of the acuity of fires is without precedent. These winds are without precedent. And the challenge is these winds are going to continue on and off, a little bit less intense.
Last night you had 80-, 90-mile-an-hour winds. These guys were just up there to try to mitigate the embers. Going two miles and getting just to go a quarter of a mile to try to save some.
COOPER: What is the situation with the water? Obviously, in the Palisades, it ran out last night. And the hydrants. I was talking to the firefighter on this block. They left, because there was no water in the hydrant here.
NEWSOM: The -- the local folks are trying to figure that out. I mean, just when you have a system that's not dissimilar to what we've seen in other extraordinarily large-scale fires, whether it be pipe electricity or whether it just be the complete overwhelm of the system. I mean, those hydrants are typical for two or three fires, maybe one fire. You have something at this scale. But again, that's going to be determined by the local.
COOPER: Finally, your message to the folks here, to this community?
NEWSOM: I mean, we have their backs, and we're going to be back. And this is going to be a long -- a long, long recovery process.
But look, we have residents moving back into Paradise, California. I've seen remarkable recovery efforts. I've seen a remarkable sense of community and purpose, resilience.
So, you know, I'm not just playing the politician role of optimism. I really am long-term optimistic. But the devastation, to hear people wailing and crying, concerned about their pet, their family, they're just bewildered about what's -- just what they're experiencing.
And again, not just experience. I was not talking past tense. This is happening in real time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: The governor previewing what's going to be a very long, very emotional road to recovery.
Meanwhile, the incoming U.S. president blaming the California governor for the deadly fires while visiting the Capitol on Wednesday. President-elect Donald Trump accusing Gavin Newsom of not allowing enough water into the fire hydrants of Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: What's happened is a tragedy, and the governor has not done a good job. With that being said, I got along well with him when he was [SIC]
governor. We worked together very well, and we would work together. I guess it looks like we're going to be the one having to rebuild it.
But what happened there, I don't think there's anything that I've ever seen quite like it. And the insurance companies are going to have a big problem, because you're talking about big, big dollars.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: And while at the Capitol, the president-elect and the incoming first lady, Melania, visiting the casket of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who is currently lying in the state -- lying in state in the Rotunda.
Trump is expected to attend the state funeral service on Thursday with former U.S. presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
Over less than two weeks from Trump's inauguration and his recent remarks about American expansionism have alarmed some key allies of the U.S.
On Tuesday, he said that the United States needs Greenland for national security purpose -- purposes, and that he's not ruling out any military action to acquire the autonomous Danish territory. That's not going over very well in Europe, though.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN-NOEL BARROT, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): You are asking me if I think the United States will invade Greenland. The answer is no. Have we entered an era that sees the return of the survival of the fittest? The answer is yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: But the U.S. secretary of state tried to downplay Trump's remarks during a visit to Paris, suggesting they're not really worth the oxygen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The idea expressed about Greenland is obviously not a good one, but maybe more important, it's obviously one that's not going to happen. So, we probably shouldn't waste a lot of time talking about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: CNN's Nic Robertson has the very latest reaction from Greenland and beyond to Trump's territorial ambitions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[00:40:02] NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's the image amplifying President-elect Donald Trump's latest international threat. His son Donald Jr., landing in Greenland for a private visit.
DONALD TRUMP JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: Really excited to be here.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): As his father refused to rule out taking the autonomous Danish territory by force.
TRUMP: We need them for economic security.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Greenland is not for sale. Greenland will never be for sale.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Danish politicians, in particular, outraged by what many see as a Trump stunt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The majority in Greenland, they find it quite scary, actually, and quite uncomfortable.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The world's largest island, home to little more than 56,000 people, with huge strategic and mineral value, is trying to carve out its own place in the world and is not for sale, according to its government. But some of its politicians do see a compromise.
KUNO FENCKER, GREENLAND PARLIAMENT MEMBER: We are working on creating a sovereign country, which is Greenland.
If Trump is talking about a real-estate agreement, the U.S. is renting a big area of land in North Greenland, and it should be just a very normal to pay for that.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Across the world in Panama, where Trump also warns force is an option to take back control of the globally vital Panama Canal. There is no negotiation to be had.
JAVIER MARTINEZ-ACHA, PANAMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): Our canal's sovereignty is not negotiable and is part of our history of struggle and an irreversible conquest.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Canada, too, in Trump's crosshairs for annexation.
TRUMP: They should be a state.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): So much rhetoric. The German chancellor appears to compare Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): The principle of inviolability of borders applies to every country, regardless of whether it is to the East or West of us. Every country must adhere to that.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Unlike his first term, where world leaders dismissed Trump's often bombastic rhetoric as just that, this time they seem to be preparing for more push and heavy persuasion from the incoming commander in chief.
METTE FREDERICKSEN, DANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): There are a lot of words being spoken right now. We need to stay calm and stick to our principles.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Denmark's newly revamped royal coat of arms, a calibrated hint of that calm. The polar bear representing Greenland just got bigger.
Nic Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANDOVAL: And South of the border, Mexico is taking a page out of Trump's own playbook, pushing back against another idea that the president-elect recently floated.
President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke on Wednesday, a day after Trump suggested that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the Gulf of America.
The Mexican leader hit back in the same manner, suggesting that other things could be renamed, too, in that case.
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The United Nations recognizes the name Gulf of Mexico. But next, why don't we call it Mexican America? It sounds nice, doesn't it? The Constitution of Apatzingan called it Mexican America since 1607. So, let's call it Mexican America. It sounds nice, doesn't it?
Gulf of Mexico since 1607 and is also internationally recognized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: Trump's idea was also mocked by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. He said renaming the gulf was a, quote, "zany idea," and that that won't do anything about the economic concerns of Americans.
Reminder, the economy was very top on the list of voters during last year's election, not renaming an ocean basin.
We will get back to the breaking news out of Los Angeles in just a moment. I'll speak with a photographer who's been moving from one neighborhood to another, using his camera to document these destructive wildfires.
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[00:48:41]
SANDOVAL: It is the most destructive fire ever in the history of Los Angeles county, according to CAL FIRE. But the Palisades blaze now larger than the area of Manhattan. That tells you something.
It is just one of five blazes that emergency crews are currently racing to contain. High winds are literally fanning the flames. In fact, those winds keeping several firefighter -- fighting assets out of the air at one point.
And California Governor Gavin Newsom says the state has depleted all its resources. But it, quote, "wasn't enough" to stop the wildfires. He says at least five people have been killed so far, but unfortunately, that number is likely to continue to rise.
Joining me now, Stuart Palley, a photographer who's been moving around the Los Angeles area documenting these catastrophic fires. Stuart, I'm really excited to talk to you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances.
You've been photographing wildfires for over a decade and currently work with the Forest Service, documenting some of these events with your camera.
Browsing some of your shots a little while ago, they're so impactful, and they show scenes that really resemble more of an atomic blast site.
So, you see the charred tree trunks, what's left of houses and cars. I'm curious: what's the message that you're trying to capture in each one of your stills?
STUART PALLEY, PHOTOGRAPHER: Sure. And thank you for having me on.
[00:50:02]
So, wildfire is a fact of life in Southern California. And unfortunately, we're experiencing one of the most severe, if not the most severe, wildfire event of my career of photographing 150 fires over the last decade.
And what I'm trying to show folks is this is happening in our backyards.
And I think because of the severity of this event, it's pretty obvious to everybody in the area.
But I want people to see what's happening on the front lines, educate themselves about wildfire, and maybe when the next fire event happens, be a little bit more prepared for the next one.
SANDOVAL: Stuart, I want to show one of your photographs to our -- to our viewers. It really struck me. And in that, you can actually -- it appears that you took it from the beach, shooting towards the homes along the highway.
In the foreground, you see what's left of what I assume were homes, but in the background, you see some -- some structures that appear to be untouched.
How do you pick these kinds of -- of perspectives that show a mix of sort of all elements of what's happening on the ground right now?
PALLEY: During these offshore wind events or the Santa Ana winds, as we call them.
Most of these homes are actually not destroyed during the actual flaming front and the main body of the fire. They ended up being destroyed by ember cast and burning bushes and things like that after the fire passes through.
And so, homes will ignite, based on very local weather patterns. It's almost luck of the draw sometimes. So, it shows the random nature of fire and how some homes sometimes have better preparation to defense versus others.
But today, I just -- I just got back from being in the Pacific Palisades in Malibu, and there's areas where there's 100 percent devastation for miles, and then you come around a corner, and there's a dozen homes that are left untouched. And it's all based on the very localized weather.
So, there is a bit of a random nature here. Some of it's preparation; some of it's luck. But I really want to show how the fire only stopped when it got to the Pacific Ocean, or what firefighters call the Great Pacific Fire Break.
SANDOVAL: Yes, we -- video certainly tells a lot of the story, but something about a photograph that captures a split second that also speaks volumes.
I assume that you also tend to embed with some of the firefighting teams throughout your assignments. Can you share a story or two from some of these men and women who have been working for well over 30 hours now?
PALLEY: Absolutely. Well, it goes without saying that every single one of them are heroes. They worked under extreme conditions, under extreme duress, nearly 100-mile-an-hour winds to save lives and property.
And I saw numerous homes, both in Malibu and at the Eaton Fire in Altadena that were saved, because crews were doing their best to save homes, think quickly.
When fire hydrants couldn't provide water anymore, they started drafting water out of pools. You know, they worked with community liaisons and community brigades to make sure the community was aware and evacuated.
And in some cases, they evacuated a nursing home that had invalid seniors that weren't able to move on their own. And they got over 200 patients out before the fire reached them.
And I just -- I applaud every single one of them. They're out there doing really important work. And this -- this event would be far, far worse without the work of the firefighters that are out there.
SANDOVAL: Stuart, I have to ask very quickly, does this take an emotional toll on you when you're out there and you're seeing this, you're speaking to -- to people? PALLEY: Absolutely. I have half a dozen friends and people that are very close to my family and I that lost their homes in the last 24 hours.
I -- I did check on a residence in Malibu that's a close family friend. And I had to inform them that their house was, in fact, no longer there. So, this -- this feels very close to home. It affects me very deeply and profoundly.
And I think it's one of the reasons why covering fires the way I do is very important to me, because, you know, this is -- this is in our backyard, the backyard being the Los Angeles region. And it affects all of us when the fires are this severe.
SANDOVAL: Stuart Palley, it's a dangerous assignment, but it certainly hits home.
So, thank you for documenting this and for -- for sharing some of your story with us and -- and with our viewers around the world. Take care.
PALLEY: Thank you for having me on. Take care.
SANDOVAL: You bet.
All right. Well, some Hollywood celebrities have also lost their homes in the fires, and a few are getting to share their stories.
Paris Hilton, she posted about the shock of watching her house burn down on live TV. She says she's thankful her family and her pets are safe, and that her company's charitable wing is reaching out to local nonprofits to try to find ways to help some of the victims impacted by this.
Actor Mandy Moore, she's also expressing gratitude. And she and her family were able to escape. But they are mourning the loss of her children's school and also other community fixtures in Altadena.
Meanwhile, actor James Woods sharing video of the Palisades fire closing in on his home. He and his wife, luckily, were able to escape but are not sure whether their home actually made it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES WOODS, ACTOR: Sara was on with her 8-year-old niece last night, and she came out.
[00:55:01]
I'm sorry. Just, you know, one day you're swimming in the pool, and the next day, it's all gone.
But yes, she came out with her little Yeti piggy bank for us to rebuild our house.
I'm sorry. I'm usually -- I thought -- I thought -- I thought I would be stronger than this. I thought I'd be stronger than this. But you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANDOVAL: A small portion of what's -- his interview with CNN.
Meanwhile, actor Billy Crystal telling CNN, quote, "Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. Janice and I lived in our home since 1979. We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love, beautiful memories that can't be taken away."
Again, the long road to recovery just beginning for so many people, celebrities included.
I'm Polo Sandoval. I will be back with more live breaking news coverage of the Southern California wildfires after this.
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