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 Eaton Fire that has so far killed 17 people was 65% contained Friday, with authorities continuing to search the rubble for other possible victims in the remnants of the blaze that destroyed thousands of structures in the Altadena and Pasadena areas.
“Containment continues to grow, and the fire is expected to stay within its current footprint,” Cal Fire reported in a Friday morning update.
The Eaton Fire had burned 14,117 acres as of Thursday night, fire officials said. Containment was 45% Wednesday night, but grew to 55% Thursday morning, then 65% Thursday night.
On Thursday, firefighters continued mop-up operations and reinforced containment lines focusing on the challenging, steep terrain near Winters Creek along the northern flank of the fire, officials said. Infrared flights were conducted to identify any remaining hot spots in hard-to-reach areas with helicopters being used to extinguish the spots.
Urban Search and Rescue teams have completed more than 8,800 inspections in the burn area. Utility companies continue to restore infrastructure damaged by the fire. Fire suppression repairs were in progress, along with rapid watershed assessments to evaluate potential risks from possible debris flows, flooding and rockfall hazards, fire officials said.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office on Thursday reported 17 deaths tied to the Eaton Fire, an increase of one from Wednesday. There are 24 active missing-person cases from the Eaton Fire, Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for thousands of residents in the Eaton Fire area, although on Thursday afternoon, residents along Canyon Crest Road into The Meadows east of El Prieto Road were permitted to return home.
On Wednesday afternoon, evacuations were lifted in a large area stretching from the western to southern flank of the fire. On Tuesday afternoon, orders were lifted for an area south of Canyon Crest Road and west of Lincoln Avenue in the Altadena area, according to the sheriff’s department.
On Monday, evacuations were lifted in the Altadena Kinneloa Mesa community, in an area south of Heights Road to New York Drive, and east of Outpost Lane to Sierra Madre Villa.
Luna said Thursday he anticipates the bulk of the evacuation orders in the fire area will remain in place for at least another week, likely longer.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said earlier that more than 7,000 structures are believed to 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.
As of Friday morning, 7,193 structures were officially listed as destroyed, and 805 damaged.
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.
There were about 3,300 personnel assigned to the firefighting effort as of Friday morning.
Six firefighters have suffered undisclosed injuries fighting the blaze, according to the county fire department.
SoCalGas officials said they had temporarily shut off natural gas service to 16,700 customers Saturday in the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre communities as a safety measure. As of Thursday afternoon, the utility had restored service to 961 of those customers. The Gas Co. has established an information booth for residents at the Santa Anita Mall, Gate 8, at 400 S. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia to provide information for customers.
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 Monday more than 30 people had been arrested in both the Eaton and Palisades burn areas, some for alleged looting and others for offenses including narcotics or weapons possession. Two people were arrested for allegedly operating a drone in the area.
The Pasadena Unified School District, which includes Altadena, closed its campuses through at least Friday. The Glendale Unified School District reopened Monday with the exception of Rosemont Middle School, where a tree fell on campus.
The entire Angeles National Forest has been closed for public safety and the protection of natural resources through at least Sunday.
The Eaton Fire was reported about 6:20 p.m. Jan. 7 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 Clubhouse and adjacent buildings were also destroyed. Also destroyed was The Bunny Museum in Altadena.
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