Los Angeles wildfires latest: Nearly 180,000 people under evacuation orders, county sheriff says

Energy infrastructure giant Kinder Morgan said that a pair of its fuel pipelines have been shut down since Wednesday due to power outages in Southern California, Reuters reported.

The affected pipelines are SFPP West and Calnev. The company expects the pipelines to return to service once the power has been restored, according to Reuters.

—Darla Mercado

Companies were notable presences in California were among those offering support to Los Angeles-area residents and first responders.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the ecommerce titan's disaster relief team was prepping pallets of products to help the American Red Cross and other partners. "My heart goes out to everyone going through this scary and dangerous time," he wrote in a post on X.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said in an X post that the technology giant would donate to efforts for victims and recovery efforts. Cook called the devastation "heartbreaking" and said he was "thinking" of employees in the area.

Google said it has been working with local authorities to provide updated information through products such as Search and Maps. The company's philanthropic arm, Google.org, will help recovery efforts through funding and an employee donation matching campaign.

Disney CEO Bob Iger said on Instagram that he drove through the Pacific Palisades and saw the "devastation" first hand. Iger expressed his sympathy for those impacted, a group he noted includes "thousands" of Disney employees.

— Alex Harring

A new brush fire appeared in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles.

The blaze, known as the Kenneth Fire, prompted a mandatory evacuation order from the Los Angeles Fire Department on Thursday afternoon.

—Darla Mercado

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris drew attention to the role climate change plays in increasing the likelihood of devastating wildfires, in a press briefing this evening.

"We are beyond the point of calling it fire season," Harris said. "We're seeing this around the country, that whereas years before we would talk about a particular season of extreme weather, we are seeing that it doesn't matter what month of the year, we should be ready."

While wildfires are common in California, the traditional fire season tends to end well before January. But unusual weather conditions have extended the threat of wildfires.

"We have got to invest, as a country, in adaptation and we have to invest in resilience," Harris said.

"There is global warming. It's real, it's having a profound impact, and where it goes from here, I don't know but I know one thing: We have the capacity to respond to it, if we, in fact, exercise our good judgment," President Biden said.

— Ece Yildirim

The U.S. is working to mobilize Canadian firefighting aircrafts, two CL-415 diesel water scoopers, to combat the fires, U.S. Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said in a press briefing.

The aircrafts cleared customs on Monday and will be available after they clear federal inspections and check rides, he said.

— Ece Yildirim

President Joe Biden announced in a press briefing that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost of recovery for the first 180 days, after a request from Governor Gavin Newsom.

The funding will pay for "things like debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters, first responders' salaries," Biden said.

The President is calling for 400 additional federal firefighters, over 30 firefighting helicopters and planes and eight Department of Defense C130s that are equipped to suppress wildfires. In addition, the Secretary of Defense has authorized 500 wildfire ground clearing personnel from the department, Biden said.

"We expect there may be a temporary break in the winds, but in some areas, the winds are likely to continue well in to the next week, and so we're going to continue to send everything, literally every resource we can find that's appropriate to help the governor and the first responders," Biden said.

— Ece Yildirim

The wildfires wreaking devastation in the Los Angeles area could become the costliest blaze in U.S. history.

The insured losses from this week's fires may exceed $20 billion, according to estimates published by JPMorgan on Thursday. Those losses would far exceed the $12.5 billion in insured damages from the 2018 Camp Fire, which was the costliest blaze in the nation's history, according to data from Aon.

— Spencer Kimball

Human remains were found in a Malibu home last night by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, NBC News LA reports, marking the first confirmed death in the Palisades Fire.

Officials made the discovery after conducting a welfare check on the residence off of Pacific Coast Highway, led by a missing persons report. The victim is yet to be identified.

— Ece Yildirim

The Eaton fire in Altadena, Los Angeles County, is nearing communication towers on Mount Wilson, NBC Los Angeles has reported.

The fire threatens communication towers, which serve local radio and television stations, atop the summit as it approaches the mountain from the western side. It has the potential to disrupt broadcast transmissions.

The area is currently awaiting water drops. The Eaton fire has burned over 10,000 acres so far and is 0% contained.

— Russell Leung

President Joe Biden will gather top White House and administration officials at 4:30 p.m. ET for a briefing on the federal response to the Los Angeles wildfires.

Vice President Kamala Harris will also attend the briefing, the White House said.

— Kevin Breuninger

The Sunset Fire, which began burning Hollywood Hills last night, is now fully contained, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.

— Ece Yildirim

An NBA game scheduled for Thursday night in Los Angeles has been postponed due to the wildfires, the league announced.

The Charlotte Hornets were slated to take on the L.A. Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena. A new date for this matchup has not yet been announced.

"The entire NBA family sends its thoughts and support to the community of Los Angeles during this challenging time," the league said in a statement. "We are grateful for the thousands of local firefighters and first responders who have demonstrated enormous bravery. Our prayers remain with those affected by the unimaginable devastation caused by the wildfires."

— Alex Harring, Jessica Golden

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has delayed the nomination voting period for the 97th Oscars Ceremony by two days.

The delay will push the nominations announcement date to Jan. 19 from Jan. 17.

The Producers Guild of America and Writers Guild of America have also postponed nominations due to the situation.

— Samantha Subin

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis said her family has pledged $1 million from their foundation to start a fund to support wildfire relief efforts.

"I'm in communication with Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass and Senator Schiff as to where those funds need to be directed for the most impact," Curtis said in an Instagram post.

Her post promised frequent updates about where others can send needed resources to reputable agencies.

— Kevin Breuninger

Los Angeles County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said the county's sewer, water, power and transportation systems have all sustained significant damage from the wildfires.

"The heat of this system, the wind that blew, also knocked down thousands of trees into the roadway. So what we have is a tremendous amount of debris throughout the communities that have experienced this fire," Pestrella said.

The agency will deliver water to communities in the fire zone Thursday or Friday, he added.

"The municipal water system continues to suffer poor water quality due to the introduction of ash and debris into our reservoirs, into our filtration systems," Pestrella said. "So there are specific areas that we are asking for water to be boiled."

— Russell Leung

Costs for the Los Angeles wildfires are likely to be massive, with significant damage to residential and commercial properties, according to Moody's Ratings.

"The wildfires in the Los Angeles region have caused tragic loss of life and widespread destruction of property," said Jasper Cooper, senior credit manager at Moody's. "We would expect insured losses to run in the billions of dollars given the high value of homes and businesses in the impacted areas."

The losses also serve as a reminder of the ongoing danger to California of wildfire potential, said Denise Rappmund, a senior analyst at the firm.

"It is too early to evaluate potential impacts to property valuations or other credit implications for individual local governments. However, these events will continue to have widespread, negative impacts for the state's broader insurance market — increased recovery costs will likely drive up premiums and may reduce property insurance availability," Rappmund said.

— Jeff Cox

The Angeles National Forest is closed until further notice, U.S. Forest Service Fire Chief Robert Garcia announced, in order to reduce potential wildfire risk and calls for the forest service.

Garcia said it will likely remain closed until the current wildfires are addressed.

"The Angeles National Forest will be closed till further notice, likely till we get through this current fire weather event," Garcia said.

— Russell Leung

Approximately 95,000 LA residents remain without power, Janisse Quiñones, CEO and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said in a news conference Thursday morning.

The department said it has restored power for about 200,000 people since the wildfires and high winds began earlier this week.

— Ece Yildirim

Luna said nearly 180,000 Los Angeles County residents have been instructed to evacuate the area, with about 200,000 additional residents under evacuation warning.

The death toll from the fires, Luna said, is still unknown. "Be patient with us when you ask us about death toll numbers. Right now, frankly, we don't know yet," Luna told reporters.

— Russell Leung

Twenty people have been arrested so far on charges of looting or burglarizing homes in the midst of the wildfires, and the Los Angeles County sheriff said he expects that number to rise.

"Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis," supervisor Kathryn Barger said at a press conference.

"I promise you, you will be held accountable," she said.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said of the arrests, "Unfortunately, I do expect that [number] to go up."

It's "absolutely unacceptable," said Luna.

The sheriff said he was directing officials to start enforcing evacuation orders more strictly.

"If you are in one of these areas and you do not belong there, you are going to be subject to arrest," he said.

— Kevin Breuninger

The Palisades Fire is "one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles," Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said in a news conference Thursday.

"Damage assessments are ongoing at the Palisades Fire, however, preliminary reports estimate the damage or destroyed structures to be in the thousands," Crowley said.

The fire, which started Tuesday morning, is at 0% containment and spans 17,234 acres.

"Extreme fire behavior continues to challenge firefighting efforts," Crowley said.

— Ece Yildirim

Edison International is conducting a review of the Hurst and Eaton fires, according to a statement from the California utility.

The Eaton Fire began in Edison's service area Tuesday afternoon and remains completely uncontained after burning through 10,600 acres.

Edison said its distribution lines immediately to the west of Eaton Canyon were "de-energized well before the reported start time of the fire."

Though the smaller Hurst Fire began outside Edison's service area, the utility has transmission facilities near the reported ignition site of the fire. The Hurst Fire has burned through more than 855 acres and is about 10% contained.

The Palisades Fire, the largest of the blazes, began outside Edison's service area, according to the company. The Palisades Fire has consumed more than 17,000 acres and remains uncontained.

Edison shares tumbled more than 10% on Wednesday, making it the worst performing stock in the S&P 500 for the day, as investors worried about whether the utility's equipment played a role in the blaze. The precise cause of the fires remains unknown.

— Spencer Kimball

The Hurst Fire in Sylmar is 10% contained, and the Lidia Fire burning through Acton is 40% contained, Newsom's office announced in an X post Thursday. The Sunset Fire, which is blazing through the Hollywood Hills, is holding at 60 acres.

— Ece Yildirim

The wildfires rippling through the Los Angeles area have wreaked havoc on the city's bustling entertainment industry, shuttering tapings, productions and theme parks.

Variety reported that "Hacks," "Loot," "Ted" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live" were among some of the productions impacted.

Universal Studios Hollywood and the shopping complex known as Universal CityWalk were also closed Thursday in response. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood said it was offering refunds to guests.

Disclosure: Universal is owned by CNBC's parent company NBCUniversal

— Samantha Subin

Satellite images from Maxar Technologies offer a glimpse into the impact of the deadly fires on Los Angeles.

The first image shows a neighborhood near Marathon Road in Altadena, California, which is about 14 miles outside downtown LA, before the fire.

This photo, at the same location near Marathon Road, was taken Wednesday after the fire.

The next two images show an area along Altadena Drive in Altadena.

This image shows homes along the Pacific Coast Highway before the fire.

This photo was taken at the same location along the Pacific Coast Highway on Wednesday.

Maxar also released a shortwave infrared image, which shows the heat coming from burning buildings during the fire Wednesday.

— Alex Harring, Michael Sheetz and Michele Luhn

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned in December that the nearly $18 million slashed from the fire department's budget "has severely limited the department's capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires," NBC LA reports.

The cuts were absorbed by multiple programs, most by leaving administrative jobs vacant, but $7 million that was earmarked for training, fire prevention, and other key functions was cut from the overtime budget.

According to a Dec. 4 memo written by Crowley, the variable overtime hours were used to pay for FAA-mandated pilot training and helicopter coordination staffing for wildfire suppression.

Mayor Karen Bass said Wednesday evening that the budget reduction did not have an impact on the LAFD's response to the Palisades and other wildfires.

"I am confident that it did not," Bass said in response to Crowley's warning.

— CJ Haddad

All evacuation orders will be lifted in Hollywood Hills starting at 7:30 a.m. PT, as firefighters make progress on the Sunset Fire, the latest brush fire sparked on Wednesday evening.

Most evacuation orders in Hollywood Hills were lifted overnight with the exception of the area north of Franklin Avenue, which will now be open while the fire department continues to work in the area.

— Ece Yildirim

President Joe Biden plans to meet in the afternoon with senior White House and administration officials to be briefed on the federal response he has directed to the wildfires, the White House said.

Biden was briefed earlier in the day about the latest effects of the fires.

The president will attend the memorial service for former President Jimmy Carter and then return to the White House for the afternoon briefing.

— Dan Mangan

People looking to donate and support those impacted by the wildfires in California should take a look at these organizations offering relief.

The charities, vetted by NBC News, include the LA Fire Department Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society and World Central Kitchen. Read the full list of organizations vetted by NBC News here.

— Samantha Subin

President-elect Donald Trump is aggressively blaming California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden for the wildfires, putting the governor on defense as he works to contain the devastation.

"Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and [LA Mayor] Karen Bass….And Biden's FEMA has no money — all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. is a total wipeout!!!" Trump wrote Thursday morning on Truth Social.

"One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It's ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!" Trump wrote in another post overnight.

Those posts followed a slew of similar comments made by Trump on Wednesday, when Biden traveled to Santa Monica to meet with Newsom and approve the governor's request for a Major Disaster Declaration.

Newsom later criticized Trump for playing politics in the middle of an unprecedented disaster.

"One can't even respond to it. ... People are literally fleeing, people have lost their lives, kids lost their schools, families completely torn asunder, churches burned down," Newsom told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday while standing in front of a burning building.

"This guy wanted to politicize it," Newsom said of Trump. "I have a lot of thoughts and I know what I want to say. I won't."

— Kevin Breuninger

A home reportedly belonging to Hollywood actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody was one of more than 1,000 buildings destroyed by wildfires raging across Los Angeles, including a blaze that started on Wednesday in the Hollywood Hills.

Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore, Maria Shriver and other celebrities were among more than 100,000 people forced to evacuate their homes to escape the out-of-control fires burning in some of Los Angeles' most desirable areas.

The largest blaze consumed more than 15,000 acres in Pacific Palisades, a picturesque neighborhood between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu that is home to many film, television and music stars.

Brody, best known for his roles in TV series "The O.C." and "Nobody Wants This," and Meester, who starred in "Gossip Girl," bought their Pacific Palisades home in 2019 for $6.5 million, according to real estate and entertainment websites.

Shriver, a journalist and the first lady of California when she was married to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said the destruction in the upscale enclave was devastating.

"Everything is gone. Our neighborhood, our restaurants," she wrote on X on Wednesday.

— Reuters

Big-name companies ranging from rideshare platforms to telecom giants have offered resources aimed at aiding Los Angeles-area residents amid the fires.

Airbnb partnered with 211LA to provide free, temporary housing to evacuees. Interested parties can fill out this form.

Uber announced that Los Angeles County residents could get a $40 credit for taking a trip to an active shelter by using the code "WILDFIRE25," according to NBC's affiliate station there. Lyft will provide two $25 vouchers for the first 500 customers to use the code "CAFIRERELIEF25" by Jan. 15.

AT&T is waiving select charges for customers in certain California ZIP codes. Verizon said it's providing unlimited calls, texting and data usage to customers in "hardest hit" areas and has set up WiFi and charging stations at three locations.

Planet Fitness offered evacuees free access to facilities through Jan. 15, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Click here to see a full list of resources from companies vetted by NBC Los Angeles.

— Alex Harring

Early damage estimates are starting to emerge, even as the wildfires continue to rage.

AccuWeather reports economic losses could reach as much as $57 billion. Analysts at JPMorgan put insured losses at about $10 billion. AM Best said it's too early to assess the damage but that the high value of lost real estate will generate large economic losses. 

Pacific Palisades is in the top five concentrated areas of exposure in Southern California.

State Farm has the largest market share, with 8 million policies in California. Farmers Insurance is a close second, with Travelers, Allstate, Chubb and USAA in the top 10. 

Years ago, Chubb began managing down its exposure in the regulated market, where rates have to be approved. Instead, it writes property insurance for high-net-worth individuals under Excess & Surplus lines, which aren't subject to approval.

AIG and Pure Insurance also offer the high-end policies that could get hit from these fires.

— Contessa Brewer

The Palisades Fire that has ravaged the Los Angeles area has burned more than 15,000 acres through Thursday morning. Here's a look at the devastation caused by the other four fires in the area, per NBC News:

• Eaton Fire: 10,600 acres
• Hurst Fire: 855 acres
• Lidia Fire: 348 acres
• Sunset Fire: 60 acres

— Fred Imbert

The National Weather Service said Wednesday evening that "much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties" were under red flag warnings until 6 p.m. on Friday due to "moderate to strong North to Northeast winds and low relative humidity."

Winds will be lighter Thursday morning but will pick up again Thursday afternoon and night, lasting into early Friday, the National Weather Service said. It added that "gusts of 30 to 50 mph could sporadically affect lower elevations and favored valleys."

— NBC News