A man suspected of intentionally setting a brush fire in Griffith Park was arrested today after flames briefly threatened nearby homes. Authorities responded to the 2700 block of Glendower Avenue to reports of a small brush fire burning near several residences around 1 p.m. Monday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Firefighters quickly extinguished
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Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order today to expedite debris removal and prevent debris flows in wildfire-affected areas ahead of expected rainfall. The firestorms have left debris and burn scars across Los Angeles’ landscape, posing a safety concern in light of rainfall that forecasts show is on the way. As burn scars do not
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By KABC Staff Click here for updates on this story California (KABC) — Two people from Oregon were arrested for reportedly impersonating firefighters and using an illegitimate fire truck in the Palisades Fire evacuation zone, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Sunday. According to LASD, Los Angeles Police officers patrolling the area on Saturday
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today appointed longtime civic official, businessman and developer Steve Soboroff to lead rebuilding efforts in the aftermath of the devastating wildfire that wiped out the majority of Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas. Â Â “Steve Soboroff’s name is attached to hope,” Bass said in naming him the city’s chief recovery officer.
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A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy pleaded guilty today to a federal civil rights charge for assaulting a transgender man who was exercising his First Amendment rights by “flipping off” the lawman.  Joseph Benza III, 36, of Corona, who was assigned to the Norwalk Station at the time of the February 2023 incident, was
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The deadly Palisades Fire was 22% contained today as a much-feared Santa Ana wind event wound down without dramatically impacting the firefight, and residents were allowed to return home in select neighborhoods that had been evacuated due to the blaze. As of Thursday morning, the fire that erupted Jan. 7 had scorched 23,713 acres, according
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By Hanna Park and Rebekah Riess, CNN (CNN) — An evacuation order has been lifted after a lithium-ion battery fire broke out at a power plant facility in Central California Thursday night, officials said Friday. “In an abundance of caution, Monterey County Health Officials are advising residents to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed,
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An anti-price-gouging hotline set up by the Riverside County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation is active today. Â Â The number was established to report suspected instances of price gouging following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a state of emergency on Jan. 7 due to wildfires in Los Angeles, according to a statement from the DA’s
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Two more people were behind bars today for allegedly setting small fires in Los Angeles amid high fire-danger conditions as crews continued efforts to contain two major blazes that have killed over two dozen people and destroyed thousands of structures. Â Â Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers responded at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday to
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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order today aimed at cracking down on land speculators who make “aggressive and unsolicited cash offers” to purchase properties affected by the Southland wildfires.  “I have heard first-hand from community members and victims who have received unsolicited and predatory offers from speculators offering cash far below market value —
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The district attorneys for Los Angeles and Orange counties are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to convene a special legislative session to enact urgency legislation that would allow state prison sentences for looting during a local emergency.  The proposed legislation was submitted Monday to the state Legislative Council by Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman
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A 37-year-old man was arrested for allegedly running over an officer’s foot while trying to access fire evacuation areas in Santa Monica without authorization, police said today. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Ocean and California avenues around 6:45 a.m. Monday to reports of a hit-and-run incident involving
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A Jurupa Valley man who killed his estranged wife with his nephew’s help to prevent her from taking his home in a divorce — then blamed another man, who was wrongfully convicted of the crime — was bound for California’s Death Row today, while his relative was headed to state prison to serve a life
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Eight people who allegedly looted homes during the massive fires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades have been charged with residential burglary and two others have been charged with other crimes, including a man who allegedly set a fire at a park in Azusa, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced today.  Roy Sims, 18;
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In an effort to secure $2.5 billion in additional funding for ongoing emergency response efforts in the L.A. region, Gov. Gavin Newsom today expanded a special session of the California Legislature. The governor signed a proclamation Monday, which expands the scope of the current special session and allows the legislature to consider and approve new
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Joining the numerous relief efforts to aid wildfire victims as well as firefighters, the L.A. area’s 12 professional sports organizations have combined to pledge more than $8 million in donations, according to numbers compiled by the Dodgers. Â Â The combined donations of the Dodgers, Angels, Rams, Chargers, Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, Kings, Ducks, Galaxy, LAFC and
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By Brenda Goodman, CNN (CNN) — A child in San Francisco who had red eyes and a fever had a probable case of H5N1 bird flu, according to the city’s Department of Public Health. The case was caught by routine surveillance. When the child developed symptoms, they were checked for RSV, Covid-19 and the flu,
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A man suspected of driving under the influence on Highway 79 in Aguanga allegedly slammed into the rear of a motorcycle, ejecting the rider onto the roadway and inflicting fatal injuries, authorities said today.  The suspect, a 74-year-old man from Aguanga, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and DUI resulting in great
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The Walt Disney Company today announced it was making a $15 million commitment to Los Angeles area fire relief and rebuilding efforts, including the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and other organizations.  “As this tragedy continues to unfold, the Walt Disney Company is committed to
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Following concerns that firefighters lacked resources and dealt with low water pressure to combat the devastating Palisades Fire in the initial stages of the crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom today ordered an independent investigation into the matter. In a letter addressed to the heads of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and L.A. County
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