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An aerial view shows at least three burned-down homes and charred trees in Altadena from the Eaton Fire. | Photo by Mayra Beltran/Los Angeles County courtesy of UCLA
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The two devastating wildfires in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena-Pasadena areas that killed 29 people, destroyed over 16,000 structures and scorched over 37,000 acres were fully contained Saturday, Cal Fire reported.
All evacuation orders have been lifted, and only residents are allowed in the burn areas, authorities said.
A curfew is in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly in the burn areas in an effort to restrict access and prevent looting.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is distributing personal protective equipment to residents returning to burn areas. Masks, gloves and other protective equipment are essential if residents were digging through the rubble containing potentially toxic wildfire ash and other debris.
The Eaton Fire in Altadena and Pasadena caused at least 17 fatalities, destroyed 9,418 structures and damaged 1,073. The fire burned 14,021 acres.
Repopulation efforts have been completed.
At least 12 people died in the Palisades Fire, which charred 23,448 acres, destroyed 6,837 structures and damaged 1,017.
Residents returning to Pacific Palisades must obtain an access pass from law enforcement officers at the Lot 3 Beach Access, 1150 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica. Private contractors hired by residents are also being allowed into the burn area.
The Hughes Fire in the Castaic Lake area, which burned 10,425 acres, was 100% contained Friday.
The LA County Medical Examiner Department has positively identified 18 of the 29 people confirmed dead in the two wildfires. The list can be found at on the department’s website.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency crews continue working to identify and remove hazardous waste from properties destroyed in the fires.
While the exact time frame for residents to begin the rebuilding process remained unclear, county and federal officials said Wednesday the process of removing toxic substances was moving along as quickly as possible. The EPA aims to complete within 30 days the first phase of the cleanup effort, removing hazardous materials from properties in the fire zone.
Updates on the EPA’s efforts and an interactive map showing fire-impacted properties, are available at epa.gov/ca/2025-california-wildfires.
As hazardous waste continues to move out of the burn areas — drawing concerns from some neighboring cities in the San Gabriel foothills — officials urged owners of fire-ravaged properties to fill out “Right of Entry” forms to opt in or out of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ free debris-clearing program. More than 2,660 residents had opted into the program online as of Thursday, and an unknown number of forms completed in person also have been filed. Thirty-six residents filed paperwork opting out of the free debris removal.
Officials urged other residents to complete the forms as soon as possible so the Army Corps can quickly begin the debris-clearance work after the EPA completes its work on individual properties, in what is considered Phase 2 of the cleanup work.
Residents have until March 31 to complete the forms, which are available online at recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/ or at any Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Recovery Centers.
On Wednesday Col. Eric Swenson of the Corps of Engineers said that he expects the majority of debris-clearance work to be completed within one year. He said prior comments about the process taking up to 18 months factored in the possibility of delays involving properties with questions about ownership or a deceased resident.
Swenson said the sooner residents complete and submit Right of Entry forms, the quicker the Corps can move in and start removal work. Swenson and other officials urged residents to collaborate with their neighbors to file Right of Entry forms in “clusters,” allowing the Corps to work in groups of neighborhoods that would speed up the cleanup process.
LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said Wednesday the county is working to provide guidelines for property owners wanting to build temporary “accessory dwelling units” on fire-damaged lots. ADUs would allow residents to live on site while rebuilding work is underway. Barger said pre-fabricated units are available, allowing for quick building on properties to provide a living space for displaced residents who have been staying in hotels or other temporary accommodations.
Fire victims have until March 10 to apply for financial relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA has OK’d over $54 million in housing and other aid for 24,575 households, according to county officials. Over 117,200 people have registered for FEMA assistance.
FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers are at UCLA Research Park West, 10850 W. Pico Blvd. and in Altadena at 540 W. Woodbury Road. Personnel at the centers help homeowners with applying for aid daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The center at the Pasadena City College Community Education Center closed Friday evening, and all of its services have shifted to the Altadena location.
FEMA also has two other centers to provide assistance to fire victims from the Hurst, Sunset and Hughes fires. Those centers are at:
- Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., building B, operating 9:30 a.m to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and
- Ritchie Valens Recreation Center, 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, operating from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 1 to 6 p.m. Saturdays.
The causes of the Eaton and Palisades wildfires were under investigation. Both blazes started Jan. 7 as the LA region was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger during a historic windstorm with hurricane-force gusts of 80 to 100 mph.
Multiple lawsuits have been filed accusing Southern California Edison power lines for sparking the Eaton Fire.
On Thursday, the LA Times reported that investigators looking into the cause of the Palisades Fire believe there was a human factor to the blaze, including the possibility it started from a flare-up of a New Year’s Day fire that was believed to have been extinguished.
Preliminary estimates indicate the wildfires will be the costliest natural disaster in the nation’s history.
