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View Winners → Fire Jan 25, 2025
A crew suppresses flames from the Eaton Fire. | Photo courtesy of Cal Fire_Official (CC BY-NC 2.0)
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The more than 14,000-acre Eaton Fire remained 95% contained Saturday, with ongoing mop-up operations and completed repopulation efforts, as rain was forecast for this weekend prompting concerns over possible mudslides in fire zones.
The wildfire has left at least 17 people dead since it began Jan. 7, Cal Fire reported. Nine firefighters have been injured battling the blaze that has destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged another 1,073.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon for the Eaton, Palisades, Franklin, Bridge and Hughes burn scars.
“Flash flooding and debris flows caused by excessive rainfall are possible in and near the burn scars,” according to the NWS. “Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.”
Los Angeles County crews have worked ahead of the storm to reduce the risk of flooding, officials said.
“In addition to clearing debris from streets, prepping debris basins in the foothills, and protecting the storm drain system from ash and debris, LA County Public Works is coordinating with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to deploy a wide range of protective measures,” according to the Public Works Department. “LA County Public Works engineers continue to assess burn areas for where these measures should be strategically placed to safeguard homes and infrastructure.”
An estimated 15,000 k-rail, 700,000 linear feet of compost socks and 50,000 gravel bags were ready for deployment in the Palisades and Eaton fire burn areas, county officials said.
Pasadena Water and Power ended a warning to not drink water for remaining areas in its service area Friday.
Officials from the Foothill Municipal Water District, which provides water to Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta and a section of Glendale, said the district’s water system will be fully pressurized this weekend. Subsequent water testing will require as long as two weeks before officials can rescind the do not drink order.
An evacuation center remained open at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., according to Cal Fire. Currently 571 evacuees are staying in six shelters.
Southern California Edison reported that electricity has been restored to 12,422 structures, with 6,961 still without power.
Southern California Gas Co. officials temporarily shut off natural gas service to thousands of customers in the Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre as a precaution. As of Friday, the utility had restored service to 6,094 customers.
SoCalGas has established an information booth for residents at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, which is located at Pasadena City College’s Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd. The Recovery center is open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an advisory for windblown dust and ash and advises people to wear an N95 mask in the fire area because of airborne pollutants that are potentially health-threatening if inhaled.
All of the Angeles National Forest is closed in the interest of public safety and to protect natural resources through at least Friday, Jan. 31.
The Eaton Fire was reported initially around 6:20 p.m. Jan. 7 in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive. The fire swiftly swept through Eaton Canyon and the hills above Altadena and Pasadena during extremely forceful Santa Ana winds, Cal Fire reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Containment has remained at 95% since Thursday.
More information on the fire and recovery resources is available at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/eaton-fire.
Updated Jan. 25, 2025, 2:54 p.m.
