For the latest on all the fires affecting Southern California visit Fire.ca.gov. For LA County visit LACounty.gov/emergency or LAFD.org/alerts. For safety tips and other information on how to prepare for emergencies and evacuations visit fire.lacounty.gov.
ALTADENA (CNS) – The death toll from the Eaton Fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas rose to 16 Monday, as firefighters braced for more gusty Santa Ana winds expected this week.
Sunday morning, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said three deceased bodies were discovered in the rubble the previous day.
“Yesterday, we started a search-and-rescue operation out in the Eaton area, where in the first day of this operation, grid searching, we searched approximately 364 properties in the Altadena area, and unfortunately during that search, we did locate three deceased,” Luna said. “As these searches continue, I unfortunately anticipate that those numbers will increase. We will start a similar operation in the northern side of the county here very soon.”
One of the victims was identified as 66-year-old Victor Shaw of Altadena, who died in his residence after suffering from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner.
Luna said the sheriff’s department has received 16 missing persons reports, 12 in the Eaton Fire area and four in the Palisades Fire area. The sheriff’s department announced that family assistance centers were available for people looking for missing loved ones.
At 3 p.m. Sunday, Capt. Jabari Williams said sheriff’s deputies monitoring the area had arrested two people on suspicion of flying drones in areas affected by the Eaton Fire, and requested the public to coordinate with law enforcement officials by staying out of the evacuation zones.
Containment of the Eaton Fire, which has burned 14,117 acres, was at 33% as of Monday. More than 7,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged — many of them homes — and nearly 40,000 structures were said to be threatened. Those numbers were expected to rise after further evaluation.
There were 3,408 personnel assigned to the firefighting effort, with the U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Pasadena Fire Department, Arcadia Fire Department, Sierra Madre Fire Department, Pasadena Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department working under a unified command.
Five firefighters have suffered undisclosed injuries, according to the county fire department.
Cal Fire reported that detailed damage inspection maps for properties within the Eaton Fire footprint showing damaged or destroyed homes — as well as homes that are not damaged or destroyed — can be found at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/eaton-fire.
Los Angeles County officials said its damage assessments can be viewed at recovery.lacounty.gov/eaton-fire. They will be updated daily in real time.
An army of firefighters worked overnight clearing more lines of vegetation around the fire while cutting down falling trees that were making it dangerous for firefighters and the public to get around.
Winds in the San Gabriel Mountains and western Santa Monica Mountains had weakened by Sunday afternoon, but a stronger offshore wind event will likely develop between Monday night and Wednesday, with gusts up to 60 mph.
“It goes without saying that these winds combined with the very low humidities and tinder-dry fuels will lead to Red Flag Fire conditions,” according to the National Weather Service.
SoCalGas officials said they had temporarily shut off natural gas service to 16,700 customers Saturday in the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities. The utility was working with contractors and mutual aid from San Diego Gas and Electric, Northwest Natural, and Pacific Gas and Electric to restore service, noting that it could take days or even weeks to restore service due to the large number of impacted customers.
Evacuation orders remained in place for the affected areas due to continued fire activity, numerous downed trees, downed power lines, gas leaks and power outages.
On Sunday, an evacuation order was downgraded to an evacuation warning for the area south of New York Drive and east of North Hill Avenue to Altadena Drive in Altadena, with residents permitted to return to their homes.
An evacuation center was set up at the Pasadena Convention Center at 300 E. Green St. The Humane Society is on-site to accept small pets for boarding. Small animals were also being accepted at Baldwin Park Animal Care Center at 4275 Elton St., while large animals were accepted at Industry Hills Expo Center at 16200 Temple Ave., city of Industry.
A curfew was in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas, with only firefighters, law enforcement and utility workers allowed in those zones. Luna said Sunday morning that 29 people had been arrested so far, 25 in the Eaton Fire area and four in the Palisades Fire area. That was prior to the announcement of the two drone-related arrests.
Officials continued to warn people of highly unhealthy air quality in the region, and said drinking water in evacuation zones is not safe to drink. Following contamination warnings to residents, Pasadena city officials said they were testing water quality in areas impacted by the Eaton Fire on Sunday, with the test results expected Monday afternoon.
“Though the city of Pasadena maintains and operates its own water- quality testing lab, we are working closely with the State Water Resources Control Board to ensure proper adherence to all safety protocols and regulations,” a city statement said. Residents were advised to continue consuming bottled water until further notice.
Pasadena City officials said most city services will reopen Monday, although the Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena Public Health, Housing Departments and some Water & Power Department offices will remain closed for safety reasons.
“We are committed to serving our residents and helping them during this challenging time,” said Pasadena City Manager Miguel Márquez. “Reopening our service counters is a crucial step in ensuring that our community has access to the resources and support they need.”
The Pasadena Unified School District, which includes Altadena, closed its campuses until at least Friday. The Glendale Unified School District announced its schools would reopen Monday with the exception of Rosemont Middle School, where a tree fell on campus.
While nearly all schools outside of evacuation zones in the Los Angeles Unified School District were being reopened Monday, all schools in the La Cañada Unified School District were expected to remain closed until at least Tuesday.
Pasadena City College was set to reopen on Monday.
The entire Angeles National Forest has been closed for public safety and the protection of natural resources through at least Wednesday.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens was closed at least through Tuesday.
A few miles to the east, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia canceled racing this weekend due to the ongoing wildfires. Morning training has continued as scheduled and the track remained open for satellite wagering. Track property was being used to support several relief efforts, including a large charity drop-off that had been established at the Rose Bowl and relocated to Santa Anita Park’s south parking lot Friday afternoon. Thousands of people flooded the parking lot over the weekend with supplies, prompting officials to announce they no longer needed clothing or shoes.
Southern California Edison was using the entire north parking lot as its base camp to restore power to those in the affected areas. Santa Anita Park was working with additional response organizations that have requested space.
The Eaton Fire was reported about 6:20 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the hills above Altadena amid hurricane force Santa Ana winds, according to Cal Fire. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Among the structures destroyed in the fire was the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation reported that the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park’s Davies Community Center — listed on the National Register of Historic Places — the Altadena Golf Course Club House and adjacent buildings were also destroyed. Also destroyed was The Bunny Museum in Altadena.
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