Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Los Angeles Fires Force Tens Of Thousands To Evacuate; Actor Cameron Mathison Describes Losing Home In Wildfire; Fire Chief: Strong Winds, Low Humidity Driving Wildfires; Donald Trump Bashes Gavin Newsom's Water Policy Amid Deadly Fires; Canadian Reacts To Donald Trump's Threats Toward Their Country; At Least Five Dead, 1,000 Plus Structures Destroyed In L.A. Fires; Five Wildfires Burning Around L.A., Newest In Hollywood Hills, Evacuation Orders For 150,000+; Fire Chief Says High Winds, Embers Fueling Los Angeles Fires; Ukraine Says At Least 13 Killed In Zaporizhzhia Strike; Ukraine Hit Oil Depot Deep Inside Russia; Ukraine Defense Contact Group To Meet At Ramstein Air Base; U.S. Concerned About Russia's Payoff To North Korea; IDF Says Hostage Found Dead In Gaza Tunnel; Gaza Ceasefire, Hostage Release Talks Ongoing In Qatar; ByteDance's New Sales App Faces Uncertain Fate In U.S., dependent On The Verdict On TikTok Ban Appeal. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired January 09, 2025 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:39]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
We are following the breaking news in Southern California, where the wildfires raging for a second night across the Los Angeles area have now spread to the Hollywood Hills. The latest fire now means at least five are burning in L.A. County, and while the winds have decreased slightly, they're still erratic and gusty, and fire officials say the danger is far from over.
Residents have described what they're seeing as apocalyptic, and it's 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, including countless homes.
California Governor Gavin Newsom calls it complete and utter devastation. The two largest fires right now are the Palisades fire and the Eaton fire combined, they have burned more than 26,000 acres, or more than 10,000 hectares. Neither one has been contained at all. The mayor of Los Angeles addressed the devastation scene across many communities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN BASS, LOS ANGELES MAYOR: This firestone -- firestorm is the big one in magnitude. Hurricane force winds are usually accompanied by rain storms, but these are hurricane force winds that are combined with extremely dry drought conditions.
To provide context, at 10:20 p.m. -- a.m. yesterday, the Palisades fire was at 10 acres. 12 minutes later, it was at 200 acres.
To those who fled their homes, especially those who have lost your homes, our hearts are breaking for you, and we stand with you.
I know the world is looking at images of our city's devastation. I have seen the front lines of the Palisades fire, and it is staggering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Nick Watt has been on the scene since the fires broke out on Tuesday. He has the latest now from Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just have one bag to pick.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's fine, 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 (voice-over): More than 50,000 people have been ordered or advised to evacuate from the Palisades Fire alone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That makes the difference between living and not.
WATT (voice-over): Flames hopped major roads, including the fabled Pacific Coast Highway.
CHIEF KRISTIN M. CROWLEY, LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: We are absolutely not out of danger yet. With the strong winds that continue to push through the city and the county today.
WATT (voice-over): 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.
WATT (voice-over): Four major fires are now burning in L.A. County, the most heavily populated county in the entire country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm acting home, and 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 (voice-over): 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 sushi downtown. We were here last night as those winds were picking up.
In the early hours, the fire hydrants here ran dry.
JANISSE QUINONES, CEO, LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER: We were not able to fill the cans fast enough. So, the consumption of water was faster than we can provide water.
WATT (voice-over): 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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: 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. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:05:11]
CHURCH: Michael Steinberg joins me now from Los Angeles. He is a storm chaser and reporter for Watch Duty, a non profit organization sharing real time information on wildfires and firefighting efforts.
Michael, thank you so much for joining us.
MICHAEL STEINBERG, STORM CHASER: Thank you.
CHURCH: I know you have visited most of these wildfires, now five of them raging across L.A. County. What stands out to you, and have you ever seen anything like this before?
STEINBERG: What stands out is just the total devastation, seeing rows upon rows of homes just completely burned to the ground. That's been what has really -- that's what really stood out to me, driving along the Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu, and seeing all the homes on the beachfront just gone. Probably about 95 percent of them burned to the ground.
The fact that these fires, especially the Palisades fire, has that burned so fast into basically the ocean, that is just a testament to the winds that these firefighters have been facing.
CHURCH: Yes, and, I mean, I want to talk to you about those winds. I mean, is there a sense that they have died down enough that perhaps efforts to contain some of these flames can at least result in some outcome that makes it easier for these firefighters? So, talk to us about the winds and, of course, the weather conditions.
STEINBERG: Yes, so early this morning, it was still very windy, very dry, but later on in the day it did, there was a little break, and we're still in one luckily, hopefully that will give firefighters just a little bit of a break, and hopefully some time to maybe get some containment on a little bit of these fires.
But unfortunately, we're going to see some more winds coming up tomorrow, and then possibly into the weekend and into early next week as well.
CHURCH: Yes, that really has been the enemy for residents and indeed these firefighters, isn't it, these gusty winds?
And California Governor Gavin Newsom is warning that fire disasters like this will actually become the new normal. Fires are very much a part of life in Southern California, of course, but we're used to seeing just a few homes burned down, not whole streets, and in some instances, whole communities.
So, what should residents be thinking about, differently perhaps, when they rebuild their homes?
STEINBERG: Defensible space. That is probably the biggest thing that a homeowner can do, that is the buffer zone that a home has basically not having vegetation right up against the side of these homes.
One of the biggest images that stands out to me that I took today was a home that was actually standing amongst a pile of rubble on either side. And the reason why this home actually survived is because the homeowner did a good job of closing off their gutters so that no pine litter or leaf litter could get in, which would start fires if embers got in and they didn't have vegetation right up against the home. Those are the biggest things that a homeowner can do in order to protect their home from wildfires.
CHURCH: Yes, we were actually talking to a wildfire scientist this time last night, and he was talking about some fencing that can be used, some mesh fencing that can help people with this, because a lot of people don't actually have fire insurance now, do they? Because it's so expensive?
STEINBERG: Yes, that's the unfortunate thing. I'm based out of Northern California, and after the Camp Fire in paradise in 2018, this has been a very big issue ever since.
But yes, a lot of people, there are many ways that in which homeowners can take to defend their home. Like I said, defensible space is one, and then also that home hardening is what you mentioned with the fencing, that could definitely be another solution.
CHURCH: Michael Steinberg, thank you so much for talking with us. Take care out there. STEINBERG: Thank you so much.
CHURCH: Well, hundreds of structures and homes have been destroyed in the fires. One of those the family home of actor Cameron Mathison. Earlier, he spoke with CNN's Laura Coates about the shock of seeing what remained after he returned to the scene.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAURA COATES, CNN LEGAL ANALYST (voice over): He documented his gut wrenching ride back to his neighborhood in Altadena.
CAMERON MATHISON, ACTOR: Oh, God. Oh, God.
[02:10:03]
COATES: Cameron Mathison joins me now. Cameron, I can hear the distress. I cannot imagine what you've gone through to even feel that way as you're nearing your home. Can you just -- can you take us back to what it was like to be back in your neighborhood? What were you thinking?
MATHISON: Yes, I mean, I've actually never heard those sort of sounds come out of me before, so it's very odd. It was just such a -- it's kind of a guttural pain and disbelief and shock and fear as I was approaching my property and not seeing the house and --
But anyway, yes, it was -- it was early in the morning, and I was asleep, and I was woke up at 5:00 because they were covering. I saw in the news that they were covering, the reporters were on our block showing the houses around my neighborhood burning, and I recognize these houses. These are my neighbors. And I couldn't see from this camera angles whether my house was spared or it wasn't and looking.
And so, I just couldn't take it anymore, pretty much. And I just -- I got -- I got in the car and weave my way up into the neighborhood, and it was still obviously, as maybe you could see from that video, just houses were burning all around, and it was tons of smoke, and roads were closed, but I made it up -- I made it up to my street, and then when it kind of came into our stretch of the -- of the houses, it was just totally decimated.
Like, there was many, as you saw in the video, houses and then fires and houses and fires. But our street, in particular, our block, I should say, was pretty much nothing left. It looked like, in many cases, there was no houses ever built there. It was just decimated to nothing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Well, more people are being ordered to evacuate after the new fire that broke out in the Hollywood Hills, we will have much more on the devastating wildfires scorching Southern California, that's still ahead.
Plus, Canadians, not taking too kindly to Donald Trump's claims that their country should become part of the United States, we'll take you there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS GROEL, RESIDENT, FIRE DESTROYED CAFE WHERE HE WORKED: Something this big and this fast that, you know, kind of just wiped out the whole town was something that I personally, and I think a lot of people from around here, never saw coming.
We knew, obviously, we're subject to the dry weather and the wind and the hills, but again, all this time went by, and we (AUDIO GAP) serious scare. And then all of a sudden, boom, we kind of got hit with this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: That was a resident of Pacific Palisades standing in front of the cafe where he worked after it was destroyed by the wildfires.
Crews are now battling five major fires across the Los Angeles area. The newest is on top of the Hollywood Hills neighborhood where new evacuations have been ordered.
Overall, about 150,000 people have been told to leave their homes. Most of these fires are not contained at all, fuelled by erratic, gusty winds. At least five people have died, and more than a thousand buildings and other structures have been destroyed, including many homes.
[02:15:15]
Well, meantime, the National Weather Service is warning that while much of southern California should see a brief lull in wind gusts, winds are expected to pick up through the day on Thursday. CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers has the forecast.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: The wind forecast is better. I mean, better than this, better than hurricane force wind gusts, but we're still going to be 20 to 30 with a gust of 40.
But unlike yesterday when we had the perfect set up out here, with the high pressure over the Great Basin, the cold air, because the clear skies coming down at night, the entire high pressure getting higher pressure, and exhaling through the canyons, through the mountains, and making all those winds of those almost hurricane force, certainly in some spots there were hurricane force and above, not going to get there tonight, so 20 to 30, but the fire starts are already here.
See, the problem, we would have had damage with the wind anyway, but it wouldn't have been such damage had we not had the sparks, had we not had the fire starts.
Well, now there are millions of hot spots on this map, so any fire, any ember, any additional fire push could actually make more fires, of course.
Still extreme for tonight, all the way through the morning hours, but then by later on this afternoon, things do go down to only critical. And I'm not saying that tongue in cheek, but 20 to 30 with a gust of 40 is better than 60 to 70 with a gust to 80.
So, today will be better. As the sun rises, things will be better out there, and with the firefighters, with the lesser winds, they will be able to get the air assets up in the air and help them out with those water drops for sure.
CHURCH: The incoming U.S. president blamed the California governor for the deadly fires while visiting the Capitol on Wednesday. Donald Trump accused 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 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)
CHURCH: While at the Capitol, Trump and incoming First Lady Melania, visited the casket of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who is laying in state at 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.
We are less than two weeks from Trump's inauguration, and his recent remarks about American expansionism have alarmed key allies.
On Tuesday, he said the U.S. needs Greenland for national security purposes, and that he's not ruling out military action to acquire the autonomous Danish territory. That's not going over well in Europe.
(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)
CHURCH: But the U.S. Secretary of State tried to downplay Trump's remarks during a visit to Paris, suggesting they're not 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)
CHURCH: Donald Trump has also been offending America's northern neighbor by repeatedly calling Canada the 51st U.S. state, and by claiming its long and well established border with the U.S. is, "Artificially drawn."
CNN's Paula Newton has reaction from the most populous Canadian province, Ontario.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): As Justin Trudeau triggered political upheaval from his home's doorstep in Canada.
JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister.
NEWTON (voice over): From his home, President-elect Donald Trump suggesting erasing Canada as an independent country altogether --
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because Canada and the United States, that would really be something.
NEWTON (voice over): Doubling down on his threat to use economic force to turn Canada into the 51st state.
TRUMP: You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for National Security.
NEWTON (voice over): Later, posting a map for emphasis.
As Trump was threatening from Mar-a-Lago, the locals were lacing up and speaking up in Manotick, Canada?
ROD MATHESON, RESIDENT OF MANOTICK, CANADA: It is embarrassing what he is doing to us. Shame on him. We are their best trading partner. We are a great ally. We always have been. Shame on Donald.
[02:20:04]
NEWTON (voice over): We took to the ice with Canadians used to taking a few shots, but this --
LINDSAY CAULEY, RESIDENT OF MANOTICK, CANADA: I thought it was a big joke at the beginning, but he keeps poking us so, yes, it is -- who can explain how his mind works, you know? Maybe it is true. It is going to be really interesting in the next little while. DOUG GILLIS, RESIDENT OF MANOTICK, CANADA: And were not too keen on the tariffs as well.
NEWTON (on camera): It's a big threat, isn't it?
GILLIES: It's a very big threat.
NEWTON (voice over): That threat to slap a 25 percent tariff on all imports from Canada has worried many here in Manotick, Ontario, part of the home district of the man leading the race to become Canada's next prime minister.
Pierre Poilievre, Canada's Conservative Party leader, has found a following not only with Canadians fed up with Trudeau's Liberal Party --
PIERRE POILIEVRE, CANADA'S CONSERVATIVE PARTY LEADER: This horrendous utopian wokeism --
NEWTON (voice over): But with admiring MAGA fans like Elon Musk.
NIK NANOS, VETERAN POLLSTER: The social media strategy for Pierre Poilievre and the conservatives has been absolutely masterful.
NEWTON: Veteran pollster, Nik Nanos charts Poilievre's more than 20 percent lead in the polls, but holding that lead will depend partly on how he handles the attacks from across the border.
NANOS: What Canadians understand is that the US is their most important ally and economic partner, but they don't want to get too close and they like it when there are politicians that stand up or are firm with Americans.
NEWTON (voice over): This voter believes Poilievre can stop the insults and start the bargaining.
PEGGY WILSON, RESIDENT OF MANOTICK, CANADA: We have to have a trade agreement with the United States. He understands how Trump works, and President Trump is a deal maker. He likes to negotiate.
NEWTON (voice over): An election is still months away in Canada, and in the meantime, many here say they have to give as good as they get and will be mounting a defense that could include tariffs of their own.
Paula Newton, CNN, Manotick, Ontario.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Earlier, I asked the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics about Trump's territorial ambitions, as well as his response to the deadly California fires.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: He's going to be sworn in on January 20th. We're almost there, and we're in the middle of this crisis, this hell scape, this apocalypse.
And instead of commenting solely on the crisis the Californians are facing, he feels obligated to use a derogatory name to describe the governor of California, and of course, blame it all on the Biden administration and the governor of California, both Democrats.
It's just so inappropriate, and I can't think of another politician who ever has done this or would have done it.
CHURCH: And meantime, shock waves are still being felt in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump's provocative and wide ranging news conference Tuesday, his allies defending his land grab threats with Republicans enthusiastically supporting his pledge to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal by military force if necessary, and to annex Canada as the 51st U.S. state using economic pressure.
How much of this is reality and how much is distraction, do you think?
SABATO: Well, Canada is a complete distraction that is utterly absurd. In fact, Trump managed to unite the Justin Trudeau, the incumbent prime minister, who's resigning and is on his way out, and his main opponent, the head of the conservative party who's very likely to be the next prime minister, and both of them has have said there's exactly zero chance that Canada will become the 51st state.
And he's alienated Canadians. Look at the reaction from Canada. They're furious, and they're offended, as they should be.
Greenland, the Prime Minister of Denmark and the Prime Minister of Greenland have agreed that, again, there's absolutely no chance that Greenland is going to join the United States unless there's military action. And what a foolish endeavor that would be.
Panama is the one that I think people need to follow closely, because we've had a long history with Panama, including military actions over the centuries, and it's possible, though unwise and unlikely that something could happen there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And you can hear our full conversation next hour on CNN NEWSROOM.
Well, meantime, Mexico is taking a page out of Trump's own book, pushing back against another idea he 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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:25:00]
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The United Nation 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 call it Mexican America since 1607, so let's call it Mexican America. It sounds nice, doesn't it? Gulf of Mexico since 1607 and it's also internationally recognized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Trump's idea was also mocked by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said renaming the Gulf was a zany idea that won't do anything to ease the economic concerns of Americans.
Well, stay with us here on CNN, we'll get back to our breaking news coverage of the explosive wildfires in Southern California after a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Evacuation orders are expanding as more wildfires erupt in and around the Los Angeles area. At least five fires are now burning, most are out of control. The Palisades fire is the largest, with over 15,000 acres burned.
The Eaton fire, further east in Altadena is being blamed for at least five deaths. Tens of thousands of residents are being forced to flee their homes as high winds and blowing embers keep firefighters from getting the upper hand.
Other blazers are burning across the region. Authorities say the Lidia fire is the only one partially contained at 40 percent.
CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke with California Governor Gavin Newsom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): I've been to a lot of these fires, a lot, going back to Paradise. And this approximates Paradise. It's not a numeric, just feeling, sense of loss, place, belonging.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: A lot of these firefighters that 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--
NEWSOM: Well, I mean, it's--
COOPER: --there isn't enough folks here.
NEWSOM: Yes, I mean, we got a few a thousand people working on this. And luckily, we were fully staffed. U.S. Forest Service is not -- is staffed up traditionally 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, I remember, Paradise happened in November, I mean. So, there's no fire season in California. It's year- round. But to have this level, the acuity of fires is without precedent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:30:13]
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWSROOM": Anderson Cooper is in Altadena, California, one of the hardest hit communities where he says the fires are just still out of control. He shows us some of the heartbreaking devastation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR OF "ANDERSON COOPER 360": 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, 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 firetruck passed by here. There's another larger blaze up there, which they are going to try 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. Yeah, it is just devastating.
And again, 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 fire -- 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 a -- it's triage.
We come upon Captain Chris Donelli of the L.A. Fire Department. His crews have been out more than 24 hours. How's water? I mean, obviously, Palisades have had water issues.
CAPTAIN CHRIS DONELLI, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Our hydrant ran dry about two minutes ago.
COOPER: And is that the water pressure issue or how?
DONELLI: We are, because there's so many engines tapping the grid and 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 at 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 help 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.
CHURCH: CNN's Bill Weir has more on how climate change has impacted the region, making these fires especially dangerous.
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: This is just one of over a thousand buildings that have burned here in the town of Pacific Palisades, a community that is now utterly devastated by this later storm of wildfires here. This community home to some very affluential residents, but also working-class small business owners, many of whom have lost everything in this part of Los Angeles County.
Unnatural disasters on an overheated planet, heated up by fossil fuels has created this drought conditions in January. This is typically one of the wettest months of the year in Los Angeles, but it hasn't rained significantly in months. Last year, we got a lot of water all at once in California, created a super bloom of weeds and other vegetation, which is now bone dry fuel up in these canyons. And with 60, 70 mile an hour winds, as this thing broke, spreading it out, the winds died down a bit overnight, but it also spread into Runyon Canyon.
This is an area right above the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The famous hand prints and stars, those hills just north of that area were evacuated last night as the fire crept over the canyons there. This is extremely difficult terrain for first responders to fight in, and they weren't able to fly fixed wing or even helicopters to fight these flames during the first 24, 36 hours of these blazes.
But now, from the Altadena area, up north of Pasadena, here in the Palisades, now in the Hollywood Hills, it is an all-hands-on-deck moment here in Southern California for a wildfire storm few have ever seen. Back to you.
[02:35:00]
CHURCH: Some Hollywood celebrities have also lost their homes in the fires, and a few are sharing their stories. Paris Hilton posted about the shock of watching her house burn down on live TV. She says she's thankful her family and pets are safe, and that her company's charitable wing is reaching out to non-profits for ways to help other victims.
Actor Mandy Moore expressed gratitude that she and her family escaped, but mourned the loss of her children's school and other community fixtures in Altadena. Actor James Woods shared video of the Palisades Fire closing in on his home. He and his wife escaped, but are not sure whether their home survived.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMES WOODS, ACTOR: Sarah was on with her eight-year-old niece last night. She came out, I'm sorry -- just you know, one day you're swimming in the pool and the next day it's all gone. But, 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)
CHURCH: And actor Billy Crystal told CNN "Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing. Janis 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."
Just ahead, some big rewards are reportedly coming North Korea's way, thanks to its cozy relationship with the Kremlin. What's Pyongyang reportedly getting in return for sending thousands of troops to fight for Russia?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw a big ball of orange with the smoke, so it looked like it was here towards the top of the hill, and I went back to the house and got some things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: More than 150,000 people have been ordered to leave their homes immediately as wildfires spread out of control in Los Angeles. Evacuees describe apocalyptic and chaotic scenes, traffic jams, countless houses engulfed in flames, entire neighborhoods destroyed. California's governor has mobilized 7,500 firefighters and emergency workers to combat five wildfires in Los Angeles County.
Forecasters warn that winds are expected to pick up on Thursday, making their work even more challenging. More now from CNN's Natasha Chen reporting from Altadena in California.
[02:40:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TANNER CHARLES, STORM CHASER/HELPED EVACUATE FRIEND FROM PALISADES FIRE: All right, dude. Yeah. Let's get out of here.
NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Stunning video shows the moment enormous flames engulf a home in Pacific Palisades.
CHARLES: We tried. We tried, bro. I'm sorry. We tried our best. Got to get out of here.
CHEN (voice-over): The air is completely filled with embers as they race to safety. It's a similar scene all over L.A. County as intense winds can be seen and heard blowing hot embers through the sky.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god, it's jumping over. I called the fire department about an hour ago. Obviously, they're very busy. I just called again to see if they were coming and obviously, they're just very busy. I'm acting calm but I'm really very upset inside.
CHEN (voice-over): The Palisades Fire continues to grow. It has so far destroyed an estimated 1,000 structures, making it one of the 20 most destructive wildfires in California's history. It is also the most destructive to ever occur in L.A. County according to data from CalFire.
KIMBERLY DEVANE, BUILDING OWNER: 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.
CHEN (voice-over): The Eaton Fire also exploded in size. Officials say they're seeing a significant number of injuries being reported due to people who did not evacuate.
KATHRYN BARGER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: Heed the advice of first responders. When they ask you to evacuate, evacuate. This is not a drill. This is in real time.
CHEN (voice-over): Emergency officials say their biggest concern right now, the powerful winds.
ERIK SCOTT, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: Fires being fueled by a combination of strong Santa Ana winds and surrounding topography, which makes it extremely challenging for us, firefighters, to really get a handle on it.
CHEN (voice-over): They admit fire crews are struggling to keep up with the demand.
CHIEF KRISTIN CROWLY, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: Together these fires are stretching the capacity of emergency services to their maximum limits.
CHEN (voice-over): Behind me is an example of just one of the many homes that have gone up in flames. We've seen businesses burn, homes burn. When we got here earlier this evening, this house was still standing and now, I can see straight through its living room to the fireplace that's left. This entire community is devastated.
Meanwhile, you've got a lot more people now in the Hollywood Hills, trying to evacuate as the fire encroaches upon their homes. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: At least 13 people are dead after the latest Russian strike on the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says dozens of others were wounded in Wednesday's attack. Videos from the scene showed a building on fire as first responders worked to remove the victims. Hours earlier, Ukraine said its drones hit a Russian oil depot in the Saratov region, more than 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Kyiv says the facility provided fuel to a nearby airfield used by some of Russia's strategic bombers.
Well, meanwhile, Kyiv's allies will gather in Germany in the coming hours. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is already at the Ramstein Military Base where the Ukraine Defense Contact Group is set to meet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would also attend. That's happening as multiple media reports are out there that the U.S. is expected to announce $0.5 billion in new military aid for Ukraine.
Well, for more analysis, we're joined now by Malcolm Davis in Canberra, Australia. He's a Senior Analyst at The Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Appreciate you being with us.
MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, THE AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Thanks, Rosemary. It's good to be here.
CHURCH: So just days away from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump taking office, with the promise of ending the war in Ukraine, it rages on with a deadly Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia Wednesday after Ukrainian drones hit a Russian oil depot. So, what is the state of play on the battlefield right now?
DAVIS: Well, look, I think Trump's suggestion that he'll end the war within a day, I think is nonsense. I think this war will continue. Certainly, the Ukrainians have no incentive to sign up to a Trump- authored peace deal that favors the Russians. So, I think that the Ukrainians will fight on as long as they can. The Russians certainly have no interest in a peace deal if they can gain more territory militarily and the Russians seem to be making steady, but slow, advances in the Donbas regions, whilst the Ukrainians are trying to launch another offensive in the Kursk area inside Russia.
So I think this war continues, and I think that it's really uncertain as to whether a peace negotiation or a ceasefire negotiation will actually succeed.
CHURCH: So, what are you expecting to come out of today's meeting in Germany of Ukraine allies, with multiple media reports suggesting the U.S. is expected to announce $0.5 billion in new military aid for Ukraine?
[02:45:00]
DAVIS: Well, exactly, and I think that that's what needs to be done in the lead up to the inauguration of President-elect Trump. The Biden Administration does need to do whatever they can to assist Ukraine and ensure that they're in the strongest possible position once Trump gets into power because it's really uncertain as to what Trump will do. I think all the indications are that he will pressure Ukraine to accept a ceasefire negotiation or a ceasefire agreement that really does favor Russia.
And so, I think that the strongest -- the stronger that Ukraine is, the better position they'll be in to try and at least come at with some sort of agreement that gives them some chance to defend themselves.
CHURCH: So from what you've been able to piece together so far, how do you think Donald Trump plans to end the war in Ukraine once he takes office? And what is the best path forward with this?
DAVIS: I think my biggest worry is that he will essentially say to Zelenskyy and Kyiv, he will say, if you don't accept my terms which are effectively terms that favor Russia, he'll cancel all military assistance and all financial aid to Ukraine, leaving Ukraine exposed. Ukraine can fight on for a bit and Europe can try to fill the gap to a degree, but they will never completely replace U.S. military assistance.
So what that does is it leaves Ukraine exposed, going through 2025 and into 2026, potentially allowing Russia to achieve some sort of victory. He won't put pressure on Russia. Trump won't put pressure on Russia. He will try to essentially work a deal that benefits Putin. But, the big cost from that would be that Russia gains the advantage, has time to build up its military forces again to re-launch the war against Ukraine in a year or two.
CHURCH: Malcolm Davis, many thanks, sir, for your analysis. Appreciate it.
DAVIS: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, meanwhile, the U.S. says the marriage of convenience between Russia and North Korea is reaping benefits for Pyongyang. Ukraine and its allies say at least 11,000 North Korean troops are deployed in Russia. They're trying to help Moscow recover a slice of territory held by Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region. On Wednesday, the U.S. expressed concern at the United Nations about what North Korea is getting in return.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DOROTHY CAMILLE SHEA, DEPUTY U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: In return for its support to Russia, Russia has transferred air defense systems to the DPRK. We are particularly concerned about Moscow's intent to share with Pyongyang satellite and space technologies. The DPRK is significantly benefiting from receiving Russian military equipment, technology and experience, rendering it more capable of waging war against its neighbors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The Israeli military says it has recovered the body of a hostage in Gaza, the body of 53-year-old Youssef al-Ziyadne in Israeli -- an Israeli Bedouin, was found in a tunnel in the Rafah area of Southern Gaza. The IDF says he's been killed in captivity and they found the bodies of two Hamas operatives nearby.
Israel's military says they also found evidence that raised grave concerns for the life of his son, Hamza, who was also taken in the October 7th Hamas attack. Israeli authorities believe there are now 99 hostages being held in Gaza, dozens of them believed to be dead. Indirect talks for a ceasefire and hostage release deal are ongoing in Qatar, but have been deadlocked for months.
Well, meanwhile, Palestinian medics report Israeli strikes killed dozens of people across Gaza over the past 24 hours. The aid group, Doctors Without Borders, warns three of the few remaining hospitals in the enclave are at risk of running out of fuel, threatening the lives of hundreds of patients. More now from CNN's Jeremy Diamond reporting from Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, 2025 is already proving to be a deadly year for Palestinians inside of Gaza, and particularly for children. At least 74 children have been killed in the first days of this year, according to the United Nations. And in just the last 24 hours, we have seen dozens of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes inside of Gaza.
Overnight in southern Gaza in particular, a deadly night for children where eight children were killed in strikes that killed 19 people all together. We're also monitoring a strike that happened in the West Bank in the village of Tammun, where three people were killed.
[02:50:00]
The bodies of those three people were returned by the Israeli military to Palestinian Health Services. Among those three bodies, two of them were children, an eight and a 10-year-old.
DIAMOND: We are watching as these airstrikes and this violence is continuing, there are negotiating efforts aimed at ending all of this carnage.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Those ceasefire and hostage negotiations that have been going on, start and stop for months now. They are progressing as we speak in Doha, Qatar, and with not only the current Biden Administration, but also the incoming Trump Administration. Steve Witkoff, President-elect Trump's incoming Special Envoy for the region, arriving in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday to join Biden Administration officials and kind of presenting a united front in these negotiations.
And it's clear that both the Biden and the Trump officials are indeed rowing in the same direction, saying that they are aiming to get a hostage and ceasefire deal in place before Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20th. Witkoff said that he has seen some great progress towards that direction, sounding some optimism that he believes that deal can be reached before January 20th.
Biden Administration officials and Israeli officials sounding a little bit less optimistic, making clear that there are still some very difficult issues that need to be resolved. Israeli officials telling me that they are still waiting for a list of the living hostages to be provided, by Hamas, a critical demand that they have been making, of course, at this point for months now.
DIAMOND: What is clear though is that these two sides are very, very close to an agreement, whether or not it can be reached, and whether or not it can be reached before that date of January 20th remains another question altogether.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: At least five people have been killed by the fast moving wildfires spreading across the Los Angeles area. The Eaton Fire in Altadena has burned more than 4,200 hectares, but the biggest, the Palisades Fires has scorched about 6,400 hectares. Residents describe the chaos as the latest fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills area late Wednesday. More than a thousand structures have been destroyed and all schools in the L.A. Unified School District will be closed in the day ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO CARVALHO, LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT: We certainly were hoping that conditions would significantly improve, that winds would subside, that the number of active fires would decrease, not necessarily increase. There will be a degree of stabilization. Unfortunately, despite the heroic efforts of our frontline men and women, that is not the case.
Unfortunately, as a result of the unpredictability of high winds, a number of simultaneous fires throughout the community, a number of clouds of smoke, dust have permeated into our communities, making conditions less than desirable and, in some instances, downright dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: In the coming hours, the U.S. supreme court will hear oral arguments in a case that will determine whether TikTok will be banned in the United States. The popular social media app is appealing a lower court decision, the rule TikTok would be blocked as of January 19th if it didn't find a new owner.
[02:55:00]
Chinese parent company, ByteDance, has a lot riding on the ruling, not just the future of TikTok, but also a new app for buying and selling that it hopes more Americans will adopt. Marc Stewart has that report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Merchandise is moving at this Beijing toy shop. Owner Wong Guifeng has made a business selling model cars, not just from her storefront. We followed along as she used the popular Chinese social media app, Douyin, to live stream and sell her toys. STEWART: I'm watching on the phone as she's streaming. If there's a product I like, I just touch the screen. It takes me to a payment system. It's that easy.
STEWART (voice-over): Douyin is China's version of TikTok, also owned by Chinese tech giant, ByteDance. It's a place for entertainment and an e-commerce hotspot in China, with similar ambitions in America. Wong feels it should be open to everyone and says it's a pity the U.S. is banning the app. It's been a game changer for her business.
WONG GUIFENG, OWNER, BEIJING RAINBOW TOYS (through translator): Because of Douyin, I make money both online and offline. It's great.
STEWART (voice-over): Along with millions of other sellers, she can instantly chat with customers and build a personal relationship, a feature gaining popularity in the U.S., but already common in China.
DAN IVES, MANAGING DIRECTOR, WEDBUSH SECURITIES: It's very advanced in terms of the e-commerce platform. It is a one-stop shop and that's what makes it so attractive.
STEWART (voice-over): ByteDance is already pushing this new way of shopping in the U.S. Introduced in 2023, a similar setup, TikTok Shop brought in $100 million in single-day sales this past Black Friday. While TikTok Shop is still a pioneer, its sister app, Douyin is already a force, ranked number four in 2023 among all e-commerce platforms in China, selling more than $300 billion worth of merchandise according to an industry report.
IVES: You look what they did in China, the goal is that they can mirror that in the U.S.
STEWART (voice-over): That's if a ban doesn't get in the way. In China, it's already something businesses rely upon.
GUIFENG (through translator): Without this platform, I don't know if my store would still exist.
STEWART (voice-over): A tech tool whose fate in America is now with the supreme court.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Thanks for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more "CNN Newsroom" after a short break. Do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WORLD SPORT)
