California Wildfires: Neighborhoods Razed, 10 Dead, and 10,000-Plus Properties Destroyed After 36,000 Acres Burned

Wildfires continued to rage on three sides of Los Angeles on Friday, carving a path of annihilation that has so far killed 10 people and destroyed thousands of homes after scorching more than 36,000 acres.

Although firefighters made gains against the blazes as winds eased a day earlier, officials warned that red flag conditions were expected through Friday, bringing the potential for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior.

Some 10,000 buildings have already been destroyed, including scores of multimillion-dollar mansions in the celebrity enclaves of Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu. Total insured losses from the fires could exceed $20 billion, J.P. Morgan analysts estimated in a client note.

Roughly 153,000 residents remain under evacuation orders, with 57,830 structures at risk in the evacuation zones, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. On Thursday, a wireless evacuation alert was mistakenly sent to millions of people across Los Angeles County, leading to confusion and apologies from emergency management officials.

Amid mounting concerns about looting in evacuation zones, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has deployed roughly 600 California National Guard members to support law enforcement efforts. A 6 p.m. curfew is in effect for all mandatory evacuation zones, with Luna warning that anyone caught in violation would be subject to immediate arrest.

The causes of the active fires remain under investigation. Although a person was arrested while allegedly attempting to ignite a blaze behind homes in Woodland Hills on Thursday night, police said there was insufficient probable cause to immediately charge him with arson in the Kenneth fire, which began in that area hours earlier. He was being held on a felony probation violation charge.

The Kenneth fire, first reported around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, quickly accelerated to scorch 1,000 acres near Woodland Hills. But as of Friday morning, the fire was at 35% containment, and all evacuation orders and warnings in relation to the Kenneth fire had been lifted.

The Palisades fire, which raced down Topanga Canyon and decimated large swathes of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, has so far burned 20,438 acres and was at just 8% containment on Friday morning. Meanwhile, the Hurst fire continued to rage to the north of the San Fernando Valley. The Eaton fire encroached on Pasadena from the north, still at 0% containment after scorching 13,956 acres.

In a welcome development, the Sunset fire, which started in the Hollywood Hills and kicked off a new wave of evacuation orders, was fully contained on Thursday with minimal property damage reported.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has canceled classes for all schools on Friday, and officials have asked residents to avoid nonessential travel to keep roads clear for firefighting crews.

Meanwhile, thousands of families scrambled to find shelter after losing their homes to the fires. The scale of devastation and displacement is likely to lead to soaring demand for housing in an area where housing costs are already among the costliest in the nation.

“It will take years or decades to rebuild completely, so those displaced by the fires will be looking for a new place to live,” says Realtor.com® senior economist Joel Berner. “Rents and listing prices, in a market where they’re currently steep to begin with, will grow amid the demand surge as more L.A. residents chase after fewer homes. The only thing that might counteract this effect is if people rethink living in Los Angeles because of the prices and climate risks and decide to move elsewhere.”

Here are the key details on the wildfires and affected neighborhoods as of Friday. For the latest updates and evacuation orders, check the websites of Cal Fire and the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management.

Palisades fire

The Palisades fire remains the largest and most destructive of the blazes. Cal Fire says it believes the blaze started around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7.

The fire had burned 20,438 acres and was at 8% containment on Friday morning.

The cause is under investigation.

The fire brought devastation to the upscale Pacific Palisades. It continues to threaten parts of Santa Monica, Brentwood, and Malibu.

Santa Monica median home list price: $3,035,225
Median income: $103,000

Eaton fire

The Eaton fire started on Tuesday night in a canyon in the national forest lands north of downtown Los Angeles.

The fire had burned 13,956 acres and was at 0% containment on Friday morning.

The cause is under investigation.

The area under threat includes the Altadena-Pasadena area. The mayor of Pasadena said more than 100,000 residents have evacuated, with another 100,000 people told they might need to flee because they live in a danger zone.

Pasadena median home price: $1,239,000
Median household income: $98,225

Kenneth fire

The Kenneth fire started on Thursday afternoon in theWest Hills neighborhood in the Valley.

The fire has burned approximately 1,000 acres and is currently 35% percent contained. All Los Angeles County evacuation orders and warnings issued due to the Kenneth fire had been lifted as of 8 p.m. on Thursday.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

West Hills median home price: $1,165,000
Median household income: $82,267

Hurst fire

The Hurst fire was the third to break out on Tuesday, according to the L.A. fire chief.

Officials say it started as a brush fire in Sylmar, a neighborhood north of San Fernando.

As of Friday, it had burned 771 acres and was at 37% containment. Firefighters successfully contained the fire north of the Interstate-210 Foothill Freeway, establishing control lines extending to Santa Clara Divide Road.

Evacuation orders for the fire have been downgraded to warnings, and evacuation orders have been lifted. Residents returning home are advised to observe extreme caution and are urged not to drink tap water until cleared by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

San Fernando median home price: $805,000
Median household income: $71,671

Lidia fire

The Lidia fire broke out Wednesday afternoon near the community of Acton. This is located in the area between Sierra Pelona and San Gabriel mountains.

The fire had burned 395 acres and was at 75% containment on Friday morning.

Median household income: $126,042

Realtor.com is partnering with the REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) to raise funds to support victims of the January 2025 Southern California wildfires. The REALTORS® Relief Foundation provides urgent housing-related assistance to homeowners impacted by disasters.