How is everyone in SoCal doing? I'm hoping maybe we can use this as a substitute pinned thread for connection.

[LauraInLA]

[Chalco]

1. So far OK in Santa Clarita.

Saugus area. Air quality is 80 which is moderate. Windy. Still worried.

[LauraInLA]

2. So glad you're hanging in there. I hope they can get the Hurst fire under control.

Our air quality in Burbank is 126, down from 150 this morning. We’re safe but I think really in shock — I’ve never seen winds this consistently strong and fires so terrible — I’d have thought Altadena and Pasadena away from the hillsides would be safer.

[JoseBalow]

3. "...away from the hillsides would be safer."

I would have thought that too. Sadly, I changed the way I think about that after Santa Rosa caught fire in '17

[Unwind Your Mind]

9. I was here for that one

For those who don’t know, the fire jumped the 101, six lanes at that spot and burned a whole neighborhood on the other side. It was wind driven like this but 100mph is crazy

[LauraInLA]

10. Hope you all are still hanging in there!

[Mike 03]

4. I lived in Pasadena and Monrovia for nearly 15 years

My heart breaks for everyone impacted by these fires. There are a number of livestreams of local Los Angeles news. The one I've been watching is ABC7 Eyewitness News on YouTube. After dark, I can receive KNX 1070 all-news radio, which has a strong signal that should reach a long distance after sunset.

I worked just off N. Lake Avenue at a film production company (that thankfully moved to Burbank some years ago). My then-fiancé and I lived near the intersection of N. Hill and Orange Grove. Some of the best times of my life I associate with that area. Every street has a memory.

I hope the Palisades fire doesn't spill into Brentwood (if it hasn't already). It seems like it is into Malibu.

If the Altadena/Pasadena fire has also burnt parts of Hastings Ranch, that sounds like it is quite far east now. That is also a beautiful area--Arcadia, Monrovia...

I'm following this story very closely. I'll check this thread periodically to see what our SoCal DUers are seeing, experiencing and thinking.

[LauraInLA]

6. The whole "Eaton" area is very close to my heart -- I taught at the Pasadena Temple school which burned.

My son attended the school; his friends’ and my students’ homes have burned. It is a vibrant set of communities, and I hope they will be able to rebuild but am afraid they won’t be able to afford it . I am living in Burbank and watching the smoke and red haze along the skyline.

[Mike 03]

12. Oh no, I'm so sorry. I heard reporting about the destruction of the

Temple. One of the news anchors on KNX I think said she was married there.

That fire really came down far. It seems like it came down Lake Avenue and burnt homes--I don't know what streets it got to.

I'm so sorry!

Sending you massive hugs and good wishes.

[LauraInLA]

16. It destroyed so many homes, 8 don't even know where to start ;(. Blocks and blocks with only

1 or 2 houses still standing, or none at all. It more than decimated that community.

[IcyPeas]

5. San Fernando Valley here. Skies are grey, probably from the Altadena fires.

Just devastating. I can't believe what I'm seeing on tv.

[LauraInLA]

7. So glad you're safe and the Sepulveda Dam fire was knocked down quickly!

[ailsagirl]

21. I'm so sorry

[LauraInLA]

8. From the NYTimes live updates page

Ivan Penn
Jan. 8, 2025, 9:06 p.m. ETJust Now
Southern California Edison said the utility was conducting reviews of the Eaton and Hurst fires, because it maintained equipment near the reported ignition sites of both incidents. The utility said it cut power to its distribution lines to the west of Eaton Canyon well before that fire started.

Ivan Penn
Jan. 8, 2025, 9:06 p.m. ETJust Now
Ivan PennReporting from Los Angeles
Edison has equipment in the area of the Hurst Fire but did not say whether the power had been cut from its equipment before that blaze began. More than 400,000 Edison customers remain without power, including 183,186 whose service was shut off in an attempt to prevent fires.

[Beaverhausen]

11. All of these bogus evacuation alerts are very unsettling

I'm in the West Valley keeping a close eye on the nearby fires. Can't imagine the gridlock if we do have to bug out.

We packed our go bags yesterday when the first alert went out. It's a good idea to always have one anyway so...

[Mike 03]

13. Some random updates for Saturday afternoon

1. Red flag warnings expected for Monday and Tuesday (this is really bad news) EDIT: Red flag warning will likely extend into Wednesday--BUT the winds will be "nowhere near" as strong as those last week. (ABC7)
2. If you live in or near Pasadena or the Palisades, you may be under a boil water warning. This was definitely true this morning, but I've been watching ABC7 and they haven't mentioned it so I don't know if it is still in place. (EDIT: There is still a boil water warning for the Altadena area at least. Please check if you live in Pasadena, because the map they displayed this morning showed Pasadena was under this warning too.)
3. The firefighting is really underway now, with something like a dozen airplanes and helicopters fighting the fires.
4. Two main worries of firefighters now: Prevent the Palisades fire from expanding into Brentwood. Prevent the Eaton fire from moving any further south in the Pasadena/Sierra Madre/Arcadia, etc... regions
5. There have been more than 20 (I think the current number is 23) arrests for looting, which is unfortunate and sick. Most of these arrests have been in the Altadena/Pasadena region.
6. The help that is needed is simply money. Aid agencies are asking people NOT to bring things, even though they are grateful for the intention of wanting to help. Too many people are bringing items, drawing the aid workers away from the people who need direct assistance. (But the thought is appreciated!)
7. Gavin Newsom was just on TV saying that both Canada and Mexico (irony of ironies) have been so great and have sent or are sending large aircraft to fight the fires.

I hate the feeling I'm forgetting something important. If I had I will edit this post.

My heart goes out to everyone affected. I'm so sad about this and sad for everyone in and around these fires. Take good care of yourself if you are in SoCal. Don't go out if you don't have to. If you do have to go out, wear a mask and stay hydrated.

My sources: KNX 1070 AM news radio and the livestream of ABC7 Eyewitness News on YouTube.

[Mike 03]

14. KNX News Radio (L.A.): Eaton fire is now 27% contained -- 6:12 California Time

[Mike 03]

15. Two looters disguised as firefighters were arrested overnight--KNX NT

[LauraInLA]

17. I hadn't heard that! I wonder where. They stopped two men dressed in black at Kamala's house but released them

[Mike 03]

18. That could be it. A lot of what I know comes from KNX news radio

and unless I am confusing two stories, they initially reported "two people in black jumpsuits" were arrested. Then over the course of several hours it turned into "two people disguised as firefighters." Then today I heard the people described as "dressed in black."

I thought they were talking about the Eaton fire. Some time has passed since I heard that nearly all of the looters arrested were arrested in the Altadena area--maybe that is no longer true.

I think what is happening is the reporters and anchors are doing the best they can with the inundation of information they are receiving, and they have probably aired things that later turned out to be inaccurate (not false, necessarily, but that later reporting was more specific). That is probably the case with the story of the two people wearing "jumpsuits." (When I hear the word jumpsuit I think of parachuting! ). I'm still somewhat confused about whether these are the same individuals detained at the residence of Kamal Harris. Were those two released? Yikes. That surprised me a little bit.

Another night of listening to KNX through the static! I know they are doing the best they can--I hate to nitpick their coverage, but they have allowed a lot of political squabbling that is so disappointing to hear, given the gravity of this situation. Disasters used to always unite Americans. Since Trump came on the scene, that is no longer the case, and I find it heartbreaking.

Take good care. I hope you, any and all family members and friends are safe and being well cared for, and didn't lose their homes.

[LauraInLA]

19. I agree! And I came here to tell you I just heard the sheriff say one guy arrested in the Palisades was

dressed as a firefighter. So there you go!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

20. Here in Costa Mesa we are well away from normal fire danger.

Even away from smoke. But we experienced a brief loss of power on Wednesday and strong winds.

Today I received a piece of mail from Met Life. No known account. My husband David passed away last July. But I was informed by them that a tree would be planted in his name in ... Florida! WT...?

It's good that a tree is planted in his name, but I'd much rather have it here in SoCal.