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California wildfires live updates: night-time curfew ordered for parts of Los Angeles amid looting

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California wildfires live updates: night-time curfew ordered for parts of Los Angeles amid looting


Curfew order issued for Palisades and Eaton Fire evacuation zones

A curfew order has been established for the Palisades and Eaton fire areas in all mandatory evacuation zones, LA county sheriff Robert Luna said.

The curfew order is in effect between 6pm and 6am. The only people allowed in those areas are disaster workers.

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“You cannot be in these affected areas. If you are, you are subject to arrest,” Luna warned.

He said the curfew will be “strictly enforced” to enhance public safety, protect property and prevent burglaries or looting in the areas that residents have evacuated.

Anyone found in violation of the curfew will be subject to arrest for a misdemeanor offense and conviction may result in a fine of up to $1,000 or jail time, he said.

“We are not screwing around with this,” Luna warned. “ We don’t want anyone taking advantage of our residents that have already been victimized.”

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Key events

Summary of the day so far

Here are the key takeaways from the latest news conference by Los Angeles city and county officials on the wildfires.

  • A curfew order is in place between 6pm and 6am on all mandatory evacuation zones in the Palisades and Eaton areas. “You can’t not be in these affected areas. If you are, you are subject to arrest,” LA sheriff Robert Luna said. The curfew’s purpose is to enhance public safety, protect property, and prevent any burglaries or looting in areas evacuated by residents, Luna said.

  • The Palisades fire, the largest of the five fires, currently stands at 8% contained. Firefighters were able to make overnight progress on the fire due to “favorable” overnight weather conditions. Wind gusts are expected to increase in daylight hours that will test containment lines. Red flag warnings continue in Los Angeles county through 6pm PT today.

  • The Eaton fire, north of Pasadena, has burned 13,956 acres and is 3% contained. About 4,000 to 5,000 structures may be damaged and destroyed by the fire, and 1,527 firefighting personnel have been assigned to the fire. The blaze pushed toward Mount Wilson on Thursday, but the observatory is “OK” and no buildings have been destroyed there.

  • The Hurst fire, just south of Santa Clarita, has spread to 771 acres and is 37% contained.

  • The Kenneth fire, in the San Fernando valley, has burned 1,000 acres and is 35% contained. All evacuation orders and warnings in LA county for the Kenneth fire have been lifted.

  • The Lidia fire is 75% contained. The causes of the fires are still under investigation.

  • The number of residents under evacuation orders have dipped to 153,000. Approximately 57,830 structures are deemed to be at risk. An additional 166,800 residents are under evacuation warnings.

  • A super scooper aircraft that was damaged by a drone flown by a civilian should be back in the air by Monday. “Flying a drone in the fire traffic area is not only dangerous but it’s illegal,” Los Angeles county fire chief Anthony Perron said, adding that those who fly them over the wildfire area will be prosecuted.

  • A man arrested on suspicion of attempting to light a fire in Woodland Hills yesterday will not be charged. Officers found there was not enough probable cause to arrest the person, Los Angeles police department assistant chief Dominic Choi said.

  • Officials apologized after evacuation order alerts were mistakenly sent on Thursday afternoon and again on Friday. LA county office of emergency management director Kevin McGowan said he could not “express how sorry I am” but implored residents not to disable the messages on their phones, adding: “Not receiving an alert can be a consequence of life and death.”

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Airbnb said it has expanded its housing support to an additional 25,000 people who have been impacted by the fires.

The company partnered with 211 LA, a hub for local community members and organizations, earlier this week to offer free, temporary housing to individuals and families who lost their homes or were forced to evacuate.

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It said 6,500 people have already been offered access to emergency housing with Airbnb hosts, but that thousands more are still displaced.

“The situation is devastating, and we’ll continue to do everything we can to support the Los Angeles community,” it said in a statement.

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An Altadena resident has described returning to her home to find it destroyed in the fire.

In a video posted by NewsNation’s Brian Entin, Fran said she “poured everything” into the house that she has lived with her husband and family for 26 years.

“We have nowhere to go,” she said.

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Pointing to the other destroyed houses on the street, she said her neighbors had sent their children – now in their 40s – to kindergarten together.

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LA county fire chief Anthony Perrone said one of the county’s two super scooper aircraft had been taken out of commission for emergency repairs, after being damaged in a drone incursion at the Palisades fire on Thursday.

The aircraft should be back in the air by Monday, he said.

“Flying a drone in the fire traffic area is not only dangerous but it’s illegal,” he said, adding that those who fly them over the wildfire area will be prosecuted.

The LA county fire department earlier said that a SuperScooper Quebec 1, an aircraft specifically used for aerial firefighting, was grounded on Thursday after it was struck by a drone flown by a civilian.

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The collision caused wing damage to the aircraft, though no injuries were reported.

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California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara said he had used his moratorium power to stop all non-renewals and cancellations by insurance companies for a year.

“My primary concern at this very moment is to ensure that wildfire survivors receive the insurance benefits to which they are entitled to as soon as possible,” he said.

“Now is the time for you to focus on your family and on your health. The last thing you should be worrying about is your insurance.”

He said legislation will be introduced to include businesses in the moratorium.

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LA county district attorney Nathan Hochman said anyone who is determined to be intentionally setting fires will be arrested for arson, prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law.

Anyone who violates the curfew order will be arrested and prosecuted, he said.

He described looting as a “despicable crime”. “For the people who have already been arrested, please know this is not going to end well,” he said.

He also warned anyone who is thinking of sending a drone up in the area that “you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted, and you will be punished to the full extent of the law.”

On the subject of scams, he said his team had already begun seeing people being targeted in GoFundMe scams, and warned that there will be insurance and government benefit scams targeting people who have been affected by the fires.

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“My message to the public is: Beware these scammers. Do not let them take advantage of you,” he said.

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More than 200 officers have been deployed to maintain law and order in areas impacted by the fires, assistant Los Angeles police department chief Dominic Choi said.

He said there was a “zero tolerance” policy towards those who are taking advantage of the situation.

“Anybody caught looting or committing crimes in the affected areas will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said.

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One person arrested for suspected looting, says LAPD chief

Assistant Los Angeles police department chief Dominic Choi said an arrest was made late Thursday afternoon after residents reported seeing a person trying to light a fire in Woodland Hills.

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That suspect was taken into custody and interviewed, he said.

Officers later determined there was not enough probably cause to arrest the person on arson or suspicion of arson, he said. The investigation is ongoing.

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Curfew order issued for Palisades and Eaton Fire evacuation zones

A curfew order has been established for the Palisades and Eaton fire areas in all mandatory evacuation zones, LA county sheriff Robert Luna said.

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The curfew order is in effect between 6pm and 6am. The only people allowed in those areas are disaster workers.

“You cannot be in these affected areas. If you are, you are subject to arrest,” Luna warned.

He said the curfew will be “strictly enforced” to enhance public safety, protect property and prevent burglaries or looting in the areas that residents have evacuated.

Anyone found in violation of the curfew will be subject to arrest for a misdemeanor offense and conviction may result in a fine of up to $1,000 or jail time, he said.

“We are not screwing around with this,” Luna warned. “ We don’t want anyone taking advantage of our residents that have already been victimized.”

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More than 150,000 LA County residents remain under evacuation orders

Approximately 153,000 residents are currently under evacuation orders and another 166,800 residents are under evacuation warnings, LA county sheriff Robert Luna said.

About 57,830 structures are at risk, he said.

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The Hurst fire has been updated to 771 acres and is at 37% containment, LA city fire chief Kristin Crowley said.

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All evacuation orders and warnings for the fire have been lifted, she said.

The Kenneth fire’s forward progress has also been stopped with 35% contained, she said.

All evacuation orders and warnings within the Los Angeles city have been lifted, she said.

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Palisades fire stands at more than 20,000 acres and is 8% contained

LA city fire chief Kristin Crowley said the Palisades fire stands at 20,438 acres with 8% containment.

More than 3,000 personnel worked overnight to strengthen containment lines and addressed multiple spot fires in and around the Topanga Canyon area, she said.

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Wind gusts are expected to increase in daylight hours that will test containment lines, she said.

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Kenneth fire has been stopped, says official

The Kenneth fire, which erupted on Thursday at the border of the Ventura and Los Angeles counties, has been stopped, LA county fire chief Anthony Marrone said.

The fire is currently at 1,000 acres and 35% containment, he said.

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The National Weather Service has predicted that the Red Flag warning will continue through Friday or through 6pm, LA county fire chief Anthony Marrone said.

He noted that his team’s priority is to prepare for the next Red Flag event that is predicted to begin on Monday.

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LA county fire chief Anthony Marrone said the Eaton fire made a push on Thursday afternoon toward the historic Mount Wilson.

The observatory is OK and no buildings have been destroyed at Mount Wilson, he said.

However a firefighter did suffer a “significant fall injury” at the Eaton fire and remains hospitalized.

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The cause of the Eaton fire remains unknown, Marrone said.

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Eaton fire stands at nearly 14,000 acres and is 3% contained

LA county fire chief Anthony Marrone said the Eaton fire has burned 13,956 acres and is at 3% containment.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 structures are estimated to have been damaged or destroyed due to the fire, he said.

More than 1,500 firefighting personnel have been assigned to the Eaton fire, he said.

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LA county supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the fires have continued to have an impact on the air quality throughout the region.

A smoke advisory has been extended through Friday to limit exposure, she said.

“Please remain indoors as much as possible. Avoid outdoor physical activity and run your air conditioner or air purifier if you have one.”

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California warns Tesla faces 30-day sale ban for misleading use of

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California warns Tesla faces 30-day sale ban for misleading use of



The California DMV on Tuesday said Tesla Motors faces a possible 30-day sale ban over its misleading use of the term “autopilot” in its marketing of electric vehicles.

On Nov. 20, an administrative judge ruled that Tesla Motors’ use of “autopilot ” and “full self-driving capability” was a misleading description of its “advanced driving assistant features,” and that it violated state law, the DMV said.

In their decision, the judge proposed suspending Tesla’s manufacturing and dealer license for 30 days. However, the DMV is giving Tesla 60 days to address its use of the term “autopilot” before temporarily suspending its dealer license.

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“Tesla can take simple steps to pause this decision and permanently resolve this issue — steps autonomous vehicle companies and other automakers have been able to achieve in California’s nation-leading and supportive innovation marketplace,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said.

Tesla had already stopped its use of “full self-driving capability” and switched to “full self-driving (supervised)” after the DMV filed accusations against it in November 2023.

The DMV said its decision to file those accusations stretches back to Tesla’s 2021 marketing of its advanced driver assistance system. Besides the two terms, the DMV said it also took issue with the phrase, “The system is designed to be able to conduct short and long-distance trips with no action required by the person in the driver’s seat.”

“Vehicles equipped with those ADAS features could not at the time of those advertisements, and cannot now, operate as autonomous vehicles,” the DMV said.

As for the manufacturing license suspension, the DMV issued a permanent stay on that proposal.

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Former California doctor sentenced in Matthew Perry’s overdose death

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Former California doctor sentenced in Matthew Perry’s overdose death


LOS ANGELES — A former California doctor was sentenced to 8 months of home detention and 3 years of supervised release Tuesday after pleading guilty to ketamine distribution in connection with the fatal overdose of “Friends” star Matthew Perry.

Mark Chavez pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of conspiring to distribute ketamine to Perry, who died at 54. Chavez appeared Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in Los Angeles. He faced up to 10 years in prison.

He will also be required to complete 300 hours of community service and pay a $100 special assessment to the U.S. government.

“My heart goes out to the Perry family,” Chavez said outside of court after his sentencing.

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Zach Brooks, a member of Chavez’s legal team, said Tuesday: “what occurred in this case was a profound departure from the life he had lived up to that point. The consequences have been severe and permanent. Mr. Chavez has lost his career, his livelihood, and professional identity that he has worked for decades to develop.”

“Looking forward, Mr. Chavez understands that accountability does not end with this sentence. He’s committed to using the rest of his life to contribute positively, to support others and to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again,” Brooks said. “While he cannot undo what occurred, he can choose how he lives his life from this moment.”

Chavez was one of five people charged in connection with Perry’s death. The TV star died of an accidental overdose and was found dead in a hot tub at his Los Angeles home in October 2023.

Chavez’s lawyer, Matthew Binninger, has previously said his client was “incredibly remorseful” and “accepting responsibility” for his patient’s overdose.

Chavez was a licensed physician in San Diego who formerly operated a ketamine clinic. Prosecutors said he sold ketamine to another doctor, Salvador Plasencia, who then distributed it to Perry.

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“I wonder how much this moron will pay,” Plasencia said in a text exchange to Chavez, according to the investigators. “Lets find out.”

Earlier this month, Plasencia was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for his involvement in the case.

Chavez wrote “a fraudulent prescription in a patient’s name without her knowledge or consent, and lied to wholesale ketamine distributors to buy additional vials of liquid ketamine that Chavez intended to sell to Plasencia for distribution to Perry,” the indictment in the case said.

In the month before his death, the doctors provided Perry with about 20 vials of ketamine and received some $55,000 in cash, according to federal prosecutors.

Perry was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety, according to a coroner’s report. However, the levels of ketamine in his body at the time of his death were dangerously high, roughly the same amount used for general anesthesia during surgery. The coroner ruled his death an accident.

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Before his death, Perry was open about his lengthy struggles with opioid addiction and alcohol use disorder, which he chronicled in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing.”

Katie Wall reported from Los Angeles and Daniella Silva reported from New York.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.



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California’s first mobile 911 dispatch classroom launches in Fresno

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California’s first mobile 911 dispatch classroom launches in Fresno


A mobile classroom is giving Central Valley students a hands-on look at what it takes to answer 911 calls.

The classroom on wheels is one of only two in the nation, the first in California, and is part of the Fresno Regional Occupational Program’s dispatch pathway.

“Dispatchers are the steady heartbeat of the emergency response,” Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michele Cantwell-Copher said during Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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California’s first mobile 911 dispatch classroom launches in Fresno (Photo: FOX26 Photojournalist Byron Solorio)

Inside the trailer, students train at real dispatch consoles designed to mimic a live dispatch center.

The program is a partnership with Fresno City College, creating a pipeline from the classroom to dispatch careers.

The curriculum is backed by California POST, or the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, which sets minimum training and certification standards for law enforcement in the state.

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It gives students the opportunity to practice call taking and scenario based decision making in a realistic and interactive setting,

said Michelle D., with POST.

The system uses realistic audio and artificial intelligence to recreate high-pressure simulations.

“If it’s a child that is injured, we can have the child crying in the background, so it really gives them that true, realistic first-hand experience,” said Veronica Cervantes, a Supervising Communications Dispatcher with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

Dispatch supervisors say programs like this one could help address a growing staffing shortage.

More people need to be in this profession. We are hurting for dispatchers

explains Matt Mendes, a Dispatch Supervisor with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

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Officials say the job offers competitive benefits, including a starting salary of about $53,000, overtime opportunities, and the potential to earn six figures over time.



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