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

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.”