For the last few weeks, a team of investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has worked out of a command post near a popular hiking trial, where officials believe the Palisades fire began around 10:30 a.

Officials closed part of Pacific Coast Highway in the Palisades fire area on Sunday, Caltrans said, as rain poured down across the Los Angeles area and burn scars in Southern California were under a flood watch that will last until 4 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

The biggest impact was in the area of the Eaton fire with at least 139 centers lost, along with family homes that provided child care.

The fires began on Jan. 7, 2025, what seemed like a regular Tuesday morning, fueled by historic gusts of Santa Ana winds.

making them among the deadliest in California’s history. Seventeen people have been confirmed dead in the Eaton fire, near Pasadena, and 12 people in the Palisades fire, along the Pacific Coast ...

The catastrophic fires that ripped through Southern California over the last three weeks were spurred by extremely dry conditions and unusually strong Santa Ana winds, in addition to water infrastructure problems.

President Trump landed in Los Angeles Friday afternoon to tour damage from the devastating Palisades Fire, one of two deadly wildfires fires this month, greeting Gov. Gavin Newsom who was waiting at the bottom of the steps to Air Force One.

Los Angeles, Pasadena and others are putting in extra work to make sure wildfire areas full of green waste debris get cleaned up before this rain.

The rain that is expected to hit the scorched Los Angeles landscape this weekend may bring relief to the fire fights, but it could also bring flash floods and mudslides. Although forecasts show that the risk is relatively low, local officials are taking the warnings seriously.

The additional fatality was attributed to the Palisades Fire, officials said. At least 29 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across Southern California.

In early January 2025, just a week after New Year, furious 80 mph Santa Ana winds swept through SoCal. The winds are natural, occurring when cool, pressurized desert air heats and picks up speed as it races down a mountainside.