California firefighters make progress on Hughes Fire in Castaic; maps show areas under evacuation

Thousands of Pasadena students returned to their classrooms on Thursday for the first time since the Eaton Fire started. 

"I feel excited and I hope everyone is ok from the fires that have been happening around town," fourth grader Elliott Hinton said. 

Only about a quarter of the district has reopened but the goal is to have all of the children back in school by the end of January. Five of the district's buildings have been damaged. 

"Living through COVID, we know how important it is for students to be in school," Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said. 

Blanco said 70% of the district's 14,000 students and half of the employees were affected by the Eaton Fire. 

Read more here.

Firefighters made progress on the more than 10,000-acre Hughes Fire Thursday, which sent thousands fleeing after sparking near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic a day earlier. 

Some mandatory evacuation orders have been downgraded to warnings while containment of the wildfire rose over Thursday. A day earlier, the blaze was first reported around 10:45 a.m. near Castaic Lake, off Lake Hughes Road just north of Castaic Reservoir Road, spreading to 500 acres within an hour and continuing to grow through the afternoon and evening Wednesday.

With high winds driving the flames, the fast-moving wildfire exploded to more than 10,000 acres by 10 p.m. that night, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. At one point, 31,000 people were under mandatory evacuations, which were issued in LA County by noon before being expanded to include some of neighboring Ventura County. 

The fire began threatening some communities just west of Castaic in Ventura County later on Wednesday. But on Thursday, no mandatory orders were still in effect in Ventura County and only some warnings remained. 

Read more here. 

By Marissa Wenzke, Matthew Rodriguez, Dean Fioresi

KCAL News has launched an initiative called "Rebuilding SoCal," a commitment to cover that process, helping people come to terms with the loss and how to begin again in the wake of the wildfires.

Our promise: Be there for the successes, the setbacks and ultimately — Los Angeles' comeback.

We have the public's back! We plan to hold officials and those in charge accountable, and make sure to get answers. We also plan to acknowledge and celebrate the communities who are rebuilding- introducing the heroes behind recovery efforts and those offering help and hope. 

The initiative will have three main components: Recovery and hope, getting answers and community support. 

Read more here. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Thursday providing $2.5 billion in funding to relief efforts in Los Angeles County. 

State lawmakers and local leaders joined Newsom for the signing of the legislation, according to his office.

A day earlier, President Trump threatened to potentially withhold federal disaster aid from fire-torn areas of Los Angeles County, where recovery efforts are just beginning as thousands are finally allowed to return to their neighborhoods.

Trump made the statement on disaster aid just ahead of a planned visit to Los Angeles. Newsom had invited him to survey the damage first-hand and meet with firefighters and survivors in a letter sent the week the Palisades and Eaton fires started. 

He had not responded to Newsom's invite publicly but indicated earlier this week that he plans to come to the region.

Read more here.

Firefighters were able to contain a fire north of Los Angeles more easily thanks to helicopters dropping water on the Hughes Fire that broke out Wednesday.

The aerial water drops prompted evacuation orders to lift Thursday for tens of thousands of people.

There was no growth overnight to the fire and crews were jumping on flareups to keep the flames within containment lines, fire spokesperson Jeremy Ruiz told the Associated Press Thursday morning.

"We had helicopters dropping water until around 3 a.m. That kept it in check," he said.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a windblown dust and ash advisory following strong Santa Ana winds that could scatter ash from the wildfires.

 The winds could impact air quality in the area, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said in a news statement.

"Windblown dust and ash contain small particles that may cause irritation or exacerbate pre-existing health conditions, particularly for children, older adults, pregnant individuals, and those with heart or lung conditions," the health department said.

The department advised residents to stay inside, wear a mask, secure loose items outdoors like chairs or trash cans and protect your eyes. Conditions are expected to improve as wind speeds decrease, the department said.

The ash and dust warning comes after the Southern California air quality monitors issued a smoke advisory on Wednesday that lasts until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23. The advisory affects northern Los Angeles County, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. 

The health department said the Santa Ana winds are expected to affect the area until 6 p.m. local time Thursday. 

Officials are calling for an investigation into an emergency alert notification system that was meant to inform residents of evacuation orders and warnings amid the Eaton Fire.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger and Rep. Judy Chu each called for separate investigations, referencing reporting by the Los Angeles Times that raised questions about when residents in parts of western Altadena received evacuation orders related to the blaze. The fire left 17 people dead. 

The Eaton Fire began around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7. The Times reported that several neighborhoods in eastern Altadena received evacuation warnings and orders on Tuesday night, but neighborhoods in western Altadena didn't receive evacuation orders until Wednesday morning. Some residents never received the warning, the Times reported. 

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the 17 deaths related to the Eaton Fire took place on the western side.

Read more here. 

The Laguna Fire's forward progress has been stopped, CBS Los Angeles reported around noon local time Thursday. The fire is still 0% contained, according to CalFire. 

The fire burned about 50 acres. There were no structures damaged, and no injures reported, KCAL said. Evacuation orders have been downgraded to evacuation warnings, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said, because of "improving conditions and progress in fire suppression." 

Close to 77,000 electricity customers were experiencing power outages in parts of Ventura County near the Hughes Fire, the local emergency services office reported. The number included residents normally serviced by power lines that public safety personnel intentionally shut down Thursday, either to inspect or monitor them for potential hazards given the wildfire.

Tens of thousands were ordered to evacuate Wednesday from areas around Castaic Lake, where the Hughes Fire started, the Los Angeles sheriff said at the time. More were living in evacuation warning zones, some of which authorities lifted on Thursday.

President Trump is threatening to withhold federal disaster aid for the Los Angeles area if California doesn't change the way it manages water in the state. 

Mr. Trump said he plans to head to Southern California on Friday to visit the communities affected by the fire. In an interview that aired Wednesday on Fox News, Mr. Trump threatened to potentially withhold federal funding, blasting California's water management and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The president told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he doesn't think the federal government should give California "anything" until it sends more water down to the southern part of the state. 

"I don't think we should give California anything until they let water flow down," the president told Fox News.

Some experts have suggested that desalination is the reason California has to allow some water to flow out to the Pacific Ocean, and the matter is more complicated than the president says.  

Read more here.

A map from Cal Fire shows areas that are under evacuation orders due to the Laguna Fire, which broke out Thursday morning in Camarillo.

The department says there is an evacuation shelter at the Camarillo Community Center.

The fast-moving Laguna Fire has spread rapidly across 15 acres, as fire officials launch "an aggressive attack" on the blaze, said a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department.

Firefighters from multiple agencies are coordinating to suppress the fire and estimate any possible threats to structures in its vicinity. Suppression efforts are underway on the ground and aerially. 

A residential section of California State University Channel Islands is under a mandatory evacuation order, as is the university campus itself, because of the fire.

An evacuation warning issued for potentially at-risk areas near the Sepulveda Fire has now been lifted. In a social media post, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said no one was injured in the wildfire and no structures were damaged.

Firefighters will remain at the scene to extinguish any lingering flames and hot spots, according to the mayor. She said traffic delays on the nearby 405 Freeway would likely continue as the crews finished their "mop up operations."

A new brushfire is burning in Ventura County, near the California State University Channel Islands Campus, officials said.

The blaze, which has been named the Laguna Fire, is small. But the Los Angeles weather service said it is "a dangerous situation" and urged people in the area to follow evacuation orders. 

Humidity levels were low, between 5% and 6%, with wind gusts up to 45 miles per hour at around 9:20 a.m. PT, according to the weather service.

CSUCI's campus was under a mandatory evacuation order.

Fire risks are high Thursday in Southern California, where forecasters expect winds to continue escalating throughout the morning and humidity to remain at a concerning low.

"This is a DANGEROUS fire day TODAY," wrote the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles, captioning a map on social media that illustrates fire weather conditions in the region. 

"Fire weather" is how meteorologists describe conditions favorable to wildfires, like low humidity and powerful wind.

As the map shows, much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties are crowded with red flag warning areas, which signals the potential for critical fire danger. 

"Any new fire can grow rapidly," the weather service said.

Red flag parking restrictions are in effect Thursday in some parts of the Los Angeles area "until further notice," the Los Angeles Fire Department says. 

Drivers should look for parking signs that say "Red Flag Days" and make sure not to park in those areas. Those parked illegally, "in posted locations within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones," will be towed.

"It is important that fire apparatus have room to respond quickly to a fast-moving brush fire while simultaneously allowing residents to evacuate, if necessary," the department says.

This map shows the areas with the restrictions. 

Drought conditions intensified and expanded in Southern and Central California this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's drought monitor reported Thursday. 

Officials had previously warned of worsening dryness in parts of California, after saying it had reached "extreme record or near-record" levels in early October — including in the area around the Los Angeles wildfires. Parts of Nevada were impacted too, and drought in each of those places is expected to become even more severe going forward.

Arid land set the stage for the L.A.-area brushfires that snowballed into enormous blazes over the last few weeks. While the weather continues to create challenges for firefighters, California State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant told CBS News Los Angeles that crews are hoping for some reprieve heading into the weekend, when forecasts finally show rain. 

Striking images of the Hughes Fire show skies over neighborhoods darkened by thick smoke, and hillsides up in flames. One image shows two residents standing on the roof of a home in Castaic, where the wildfire originated, with a hose as a billowing smoke plume forms in the background.

The Federal Aviation Administration has enacted temporary flight restrictions around the Hughes Fire, ordering all planes to avoid the area, except those working on fighting flames. Its mandate is set to remain effective through early February and joins a handful of others put in place by the agency for other Southern California fires. 

Restrictions also apply to unauthorized drones, something authorities emphasized after a drone struck and damaged one firefighting aircraft near the Palisades Fire a couple of days after the fire broke out. Several people were arrested for drone incidents linked to the wildfires in the ensuing weeks, the L.A. County sheriff said.

Red flag warnings are in effect for most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties until 10 a.m. Friday, as gusty winds and low humidity are forecast to continue, according to the National Weather Service.

"Dangerous fire weather conditions will persist through Friday as fuels remain extremely dry fuels and ready to burn, with Thursday the period of greatest concern," the weather service in Los Angeles said. "Any fire that starts can grow fast and out of control."

Forecasters said peak wind gusts up to 50 mph will be common over much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

"While the winds will gradually weaken and shrink in coverage Thursday Night through Friday morning, pockets of gusty winds and widespread extremely dry conditions will maintain Red

Flag Warning conditions through Friday morning," the weather service said.

The Hughes Fire grew quickly after breaking out Wednesday near Castaic Lake and has since placed some 50,000 people under mandatory evacuation orders and warnings. 

This Cal Fire map shows the Hughes Fires location and areas that are under mandatory orders, which are marked in red, and areas under warnings, which are in yellow.

Captain Sheila Kelliher with the Los Angeles County Fire Department said overnight crews made progress on the new Hughes Fire, which has burned at least 10,000 acres.

"We made an aggressive air attack with a robust air fleet and they did an incredible job overnight really protecting those homes in Castaic, where we didn't lose a structure," Kelliher said on "CBS Mornings."

The fire is 14% contained and Kelliher said while winds are expected to pick up again throughout the morning, they are considerably weaker compared to the winds that fueled the deadly Palisades and Eaton Fires when they first broke out.

"We're sitting at 35-40 mph winds in this Castaic Fire. I was on the Palisades Fire that first night and I had wind gusts up to 80-100 mph and they were relentless, so that's a different fight altogether," she said. "It's like fighting a hurricane with fire attached to it."

The Hughes Fire is the largest of new wildfires that broke out this week, covering at least 10,176 acres across both Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to Cal Fire, which says 14% of the fire is contained. 

The Sepulveda Fire, which erupted out of a brush fire near Beverly Hills on Wednesday night, grew to 40 acres. Firefighters were working Thursday morning to fully extinguish the flames and any hot spots.

The Clay Fire, in Riverside, is about the same size although more than half was contained Thursday morning.

The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, still burning on opposite sides of L.A. weeks after they first sparked, are now largely contained. The Palisades Fire has engulfed 23,448 acres, with 70% containment, and the Eaton Fire, at just over 14,000 acres, is almost completely contained. 

Firefighters are battling a brush fire that broke out late Wednesday night in western Los Angeles near Beverly Hills, the Los Angeles Fire Department says.

It was reported near the I-405 freeway in the Sepulveda Pass in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

It said the blaze, which is being called the Sepulveda Fire, was moving through heavy brush. There were 8-15 mph winds in the area with gusts up to 25 mph, the National Weather Service Los Angeles office reported.

Helicopters were dropping water on the blaze.

Some evacuation warnings were issued but all were lifted at 2 a.m. local time, the L.A. Fire Department said, adding that the flames' advance had been stopped.

CalFire said overnight that the fire had consumed some 40 acres.

Read more here.

The Interstate 5 Freeway through the Grapevine in north Los Angeles County fully reopened Wednesday evening, several hours after the fast-growing Hughes Fire forced the major thoroughfare to close in both directions.

California Highway Patrol reopened the freeway after smoke was no longer causing visibility concerns on the roadway, officials said.

The 5 Freeway through the Grapevine is a major artery connecting southern and central California. It runs from the U.S.-Mexico border all the way north through Oregon and Washington state to the Canadian border.

Read more here. 

As some evacuated Los Angeles County residents are able to return home, or return to what is left of their homes, potential rain could create dangerous landslides and runoff, officials said.

Forecasters are predicting rain in parts of L.A. which could lead to disastrous mudslides and debris runoff into oceans, beaches and other waterways. L.A. County Public Works warned that fire debris can contain toxins like lead, asbestos, mercury and other chemicals. 

Crews are working to remove as much debris as possible from burn scars caused by the Eaton and Palisades fires ahead of the rain, CBS News Los Angeles reported.

Due to potential hazards, the Los Angeles County health officer issued a local health emergency order prohibiting residents from removing fire debris from damaged and burned properties in critical fire areas until a hazardous materials inspection has been conducted by an approved government agency.

Read more here. 

The Hughes Fire is proving to be a challenge for firefighters, but they're "getting the upper hand," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a news conference.

Cal Fire Chief Joe Tyler warned that dangerous conditions are far from over. 

"The first responders are doing great work to contain this fire. Certainly, we are not out of the woods yet," Tyler said. 

Over 31,000 people are now under mandatory evacuation orders and 23,000 more under evacuation warnings, according to L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.

President Trump is set to visit communities hit by wildfires in Southern California on Friday. The president has repeatedly criticized local and state officials' response to the situation.

A camera monitoring the wildfires burning across Southern California captured the moments the rapidly growing Hughes Fire began.

Video posted by ALERTCalifornia, a public safety program based at University of California San Diego, shows a large, gray smoke cloud rising from the hills near the Angeles National Forest earlier today before quickly blowing southwest. The images were captured on its Whitaker Ridge camera, ALERTCalifornia said on X.

In recent years, the network of cameras has been installed in high-fire-risk areas up and down California, CBS News Sacramento previously reported. 

More than 1,144 live cameras and sensor arrays are part of ALERTCalifornia helping guide emergency officials and firefighting efforts.

Dry conditions remain in the Los Angeles area causing critical fire danger, but a chance of rain is in the forecast over the weekend.

Satellite imagery shows a high-pressure system lingering over the West Coast, but a low-pressure system can also be seen trying to make its way down, the National Weather Service said.

By Friday night, a storm from northern Canada will work its way down the West Coast and bring the chance of rain. Los Angeles could get a quarter-inch of rain, while the Inland Empire could see four-tenths of an inch, CBS News Los Angeles meteorologist Paul Deanno said.

"It isn't a guarantee for rain, but it is the best widespread rain chance we have had since November," Deanno said.

Approximately 19,000 people in Castaic are under evacuation orders triggered by the Hughes Fire, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

L.A. officials are also working to evacuate Pitchess Detention Center, which is just a few miles away from the fire, the sheriff said. Two other detention facilities nearby have been ordered to shelter in place. 

There are over 4,500 inmates across the facilities, Luna said, and 476 people have been evacuated.

The number of evacuees is expected to increase as the Hughes Fire continue to spread in the northwestern part of the county, the sheriff said.

The Hughes Fire grew to more than 8,000 acres with 0% containment as of 4 p.m. PST, Cal Fire said.

Here are the maps showing the areas where wildfires are burning around the Los Angeles area, and where evacuation orders are in place:

The Hughes Fire burning at the northwest edge of Los Angeles County is rapidly spreading and threatening homes in the quiet unincorporated community of Castaic. 

Despite massive plumes of smoke and "raining ashes" turning the sunny sky into nighttime, one resident told CBS Los Angeles that he's not going to evacuate just yet.

"Right now, it's still not that close that I need to leave right away," he said. "I still feel safe. A little nervous because it's too close."

In addition to air operations, firefighters are using nearby Castaic Lake to help tame the flames.

Los Angeles city firefighters are also using nearby Six Flags Magic Mountain as a base of operations while responding to the latest fire.

The Hughes Fire that sparked Wednesday near Castaic Lake and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles County has rapidly expanded to thousands of acres.

"It does have a high potential for spread because we are looking at 32 mph winds as we speak," L.A. County Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh said.

A red-flag warning triggered by the strong wind conditions is in effect until 8 p.m. PST Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

Mandatory evacuation orders and warnings were issued Wednesday for a wildfire that has burned at least 50 acres in Los Angeles County, authorities said.

The blaze has been dubbed the Hughes Fire and is located near Angeles National Forest in Castaic. Forecasters have a red-flag warning in effect for that area of the county, within the Santa Clarita Valley, as well as some other parts of L.A. and Ventura counties, due to extremely low humidity and Santa Ana winds increasing the risks of wildfires.

Aerial footage showed some flames and a huge plume of smoke rising from an area about 16 miles from a collection of buildings.

Read more from CBS News Los Angeles.

Firefighters are working to contain several brush fires that broke out in northern San Diego County early Tuesday.

Cal Fire said the Pala Fire and Pala Fire 2 had gobbled up some 47 acres in all and were zero percent contained, though the North County Fire Protection District later said in a post on X that the "forward rate of speed" of one had been stopped. Evacuation orders that had been issued were lifted, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. 

Two other blazes, dubbed the Lilac Fire1 and Lilac Fire 2 by Cal Fire, in the Bonsall area, had charred 130 acres. 

Evacuation orders and warnings were posted.

Read more here.

Los Angeles city officials said in a statement that first responders remain prepared for dangerous fire conditions after the National Weather Service declared another "Particularly Dangerous Situation" warning, in effect until 10 a.m. local time Tuesday.

"The LA Fire Department has pre-deployed resources throughout the city to support full and proactive emergency response," the statement said.

It also said the LA Zoo and some parks, including Griffith Park and Runyon Canyon, will remain closed on Tuesday. A small grass fire in Griffith Park was extinguished earlier Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered support to local firefighters and first responders in Los Angeles. 

"Today, I instructed Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs and our diplomats to prepare for the possible participation of our rescuers in combating the wildfires in California," Zelenskyy said in a message on X. "The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives. This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared."

Nearly 1,500 members of the California National Guard have already been deployed to Los Angeles to assist local law enforcement. 

"Ukraine's offer of support to California during these devastating wildfires is nothing short of extraordinary," the California National Guard posted in response.

Read more from CBS Los Angeles here.

All of Los Angeles County is under a dust and ash alert as strong Santa Ana winds blow through the Eaton and Palisades burn scars. 

The air quality advisory is expected to last through 10 p.m. local time Tuesday, CBS Los Angeles reported. The alert from the South Coast Air Quality Management District also affected counties northeast of L.A.

Windblown ash is typically too large to be detected by the instruments used to determine the air quality index, or AQI, officials said. They do not influence the current "good to moderate" rating. 

"In short, although the AQI may show green, it is best to reduce exposure as the forecasted high wind events can carry ash throughout the region from the active Palisades and Eaton wildfires as well as Hurst, Kenneth, Line, Airport, and Bridge fire burn scars," the agency said.

Read more from CBS Los Angeles here.

Following President Trump's inauguration on Monday, former Vice President Kamala Harris returned to Los Angeles County, making a stop to help distribute food and thank fire crews in Altadena.

Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff have a home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles that will serve as their primary residence. The neighborhood is not far from the wildfires.

Read more from CBS Los Angeles here. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Monday to expedite debris removal from recent fire areas, bolster flood defenses and stabilize hillsides ahead of anticipated rainfall.

Burn scars in areas of the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire are of top concern, as the risk for mudslides, landslides, flash floods and debris flow is high in fire zones. The National Weather Service says there is a developing chance of rain this weekend.

Cal Fire reported Monday morning that over 10,000 structures were destroyed or damaged during the Eaton Fire, and in the Palisades Fire 6,051 structures were destroyed and 788 structures were damaged. Fire crews are still working to increase containment on both fires.

Read more from CBS Los Angeles here.

Photos taken Monday show how destructive the Eaton Fire has been in the Altadena community of Los Angeles County.

One photo shows two destroyed homes in front of a group of trees.

Another photo shows a razed area near mountains and foothills.

 A third image shows part of a neighborhood completely devastated by the fire.

A fourth shows a burned-out vehicle in a hard-hit area covered with ash.

Firefighters quickly knocked down a half-acre grass fire in L.A.'s Griffith Park.

Aerial footage showed crews on the ground and firefighting aircraft quickly getting the blaze under control.

Read more here.

Authorities in the L.A. area relaxed more evacuation orders and warnings Monday for the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department posted the changes online for Altadena, which was devastated by the Eaton Fire. In some areas, evacuation warnings were lifted. Other areas had evacuation orders changed to evacuation warnings, and more areas had evacuation orders changed to "soft closures," which means the area is open to authorities and residents with ID but closed to the general public.

Fire officials also said some residents in the Palisades fire zone could now access the area identified as TOP-U007-A on an online map.

An L.A. area utility said thousands of homes and businesses had their power shut off for the dangerous wind conditions expected Monday.

As of late Monday morning local time, Southern California Edison said on its website that power was shut off for more than 5,800 customers because of the heightened wildfire risk. The utility said that's less than 1% of its 5 million customers.

Most of the outages were in Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County, northeast of L.A.

Additional outages were being considered for over 247,000 other homes and businesses, which the utility said was just under 5% of its customers.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell urged people to not wait for an evacuation order to leave their home.

"If you receive a warning, please leave," McDonnell said during a news briefing Monday. "Do not wait for a mandatory evacuation order."

The police chief encouraged people to prepare evacuation plans and pay attention to notifications about the expected strong winds that could spark and spread new fires.

"The difference could be life or death," McDonnell said.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the extreme winds forecast for the area were expected to peak Monday night into Tuesday morning.

Gusts in the mountains could reach up to 100 mph, Crowley said.

Crowley warned that the combination of high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation could ignite additional fires.

Fire engines from local, regional and state agencies were deployed to high-risk parts of Los Angeles and the surrounding area to respond to new fires, Crowley said.

"I urge everyone to stay alert as the danger has not yet passed," Crowley said.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday that firefighters were working to prevent flare-ups and officials were ramping up efforts to recover from the devastating fires.

"Angelenos, it is hopeful that we are about 48 hours away from turning the page on this particular emergency, but until then, we're going to do everything we can to keep you safe," Bass said during a news conference.

The mayor continued to urge people to follow evacuation orders.

She also said rebuilding areas will take time.

Monday's conditions were expected to be worse than they were last week, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said.

James White, the weather service's incident meteorologist for the Eaton Fire, noted the "particularly dangerous situation" warning for Monday was the third one issued this month for the L.A. area. White said the weather service uses the term when conditions are "truly exceptional or dangerous."

The other two warnings were for when the wildfires broke out Jan. 7 and last Monday.

"This event today is going to fall between those two," White said. "It's not going to be as long or as severe as Jan. 7, but there are strong indications that it will be stronger and more widespread than what happened on Jan. 13."

People in the Los Angeles area were warned Monday to be prepared if they suddenly need to evacuate from their homes.

"You should be prepared to leave immediately," Daron Wyatt, a spokesperson for the agencies responding to the Eaton Fire, said during a news conference. "It's not the time to start thinking about it, you need to be prepared."

Wyatt urged people to sign up for emergency alerts, which they can do on a few Los Angeles County websites.

As of Monday morning, the Palisades Fire was 59% contained and had scorched 37 square miles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

The Eaton Fire was 87% contained and had burned over 14 square miles.

The National Weather Service issued another "particularly dangerous situation" warning starting Monday in Southern California.

"Take action now to prepare your home and loved ones for another round of EXTREME WIND and FIRE WEATHER," the weather service said on social media.

Peak winds of at least 60 mph were expected in the mountains and hills and 50 mph winds were expected in the coasts and valleys.

Read more here.

Two people from Oregon were arrested for allegedly impersonating firefighters inside of the Palisades fire zone over the weekend, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Read more here.