Biden calls on Congress to 'increase' funding for California as Los Angeles braces for 'explosive fires' – Live coverage of California wildfires
Biden calls on Congress to “increase” funding
Hours after House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believed disaster aid to California should be conditional, president Said Congress “needs to step up” and provide funding.
Biden said during a briefing with federal officials at the White House on Monday that the federal government will bear most of the costs related to the fires over the next 180 days, but Congress will need to shoulder the additional costs of rebuilding Los Angeles.
key events
Netflix and Comcast NBCUniversal pledge $10 million in latest aid for entertainment industry hit hard by Los Angeles wildfires Each one is given to an organization that provides assistance to fire victims.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the donation will be divided among five recipients, including World Central Kitchen and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L Roberts earmarked $2.5 million of his $10 million cash commitment to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles' ReBUILD LA program. The rest of the money will be donated to other charitable foundations to help victims.
So far today
Thank you for joining us as we cover the Los Angeles wildfires so far today. Here are the top stories we're tracking this afternoon — nearly a week after the first deadly wildfires broke out in Southern California.
There are currently three wildfires burning in Los Angeles County. They include:
The Palisades Fire covers 23,713 acres and is 14% contained.
The Eaton Fire covers 14,117 acres and is 33% contained.
The Hurst Fire is 799 acres and 95% contained.
At least 24 people diedrelatives began to identify their loved ones after returning home or being notified by local officials. The fire has destroyed Over 12,000 structures and Possibly the costliest disaster in U.S. historyAccording to preliminary estimates from AccuWeather, damages and economic losses exceed $250 billion.
Fire weather is expected to continue As of Wednesday, in the Los Angeles area, state and city officials have pre-deployed firefighters Across Los Angeles and surrounding counties.
Altadena residents file three lawsuits against Southern California Edisonclaiming the utility company was responsible for the Eaton fire. The lawsuits cite evidence that fires started under transmission towers and point to the utility's role in other wildfires. However, officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believed disaster aid to California should be conditional, citing “a dereliction of duty by state and local leaders.” Hours after Johnson's comments, Joe Biden Congress “needs to step up” and provide funding, he said during a media briefing.
governor of california Gavin Newsome State Legislatures have been called upon Approved $2.5 billion in additional funding to aid “Los Angeles' response and initial recovery efforts.” To that end, the governor expanded on his call in November for a special legislative session for the state aimed at preparing for the inauguration of Donald Trump.
Firefighting aircraft grounded after drone damage Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the firefighting facility has been repaired and will return to firefighting duties on Tuesday, pending FAA approval.
Donald Trump is in talks to visit Los Angeles to survey the damage caused by wildfires over the past week, CNN reported. The visit could take place as early as next week, but details have yet to be finalized.
This comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom sent a letter on Friday inviting Trump to visit the state. Trump has publicly criticized California's elected officials for their handling of wildfires.
Biden calls on Congress to “increase” funding
Hours after House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believed disaster aid to California should be conditional, president Said Congress “needs to step up” and provide funding.
Biden said during a briefing with federal officials at the White House on Monday that the federal government will bear most of the costs related to the fires over the next 180 days, but Congress will need to shoulder the additional costs of rebuilding Los Angeles.
Newsom proposes $2.5 billion in aid from state Legislature
California Governor Gavin Newsom calls on state Legislature to approve $2.5 billion Provides additional funding to aid “Los Angeles response and initial recovery efforts”“. To that end, the governor expanded on his call in November for a special legislative session for the state aimed at preparing for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
The aid “will support recovery and cleanup, additional wildfire preparedness and the reopening of schools closed due to fires,” a news release said.
Canada to send 60 firefighters to help fight southern fires California, the Office of Canada's Emergency Preparedness Minister told CNN on Monday.
The task force will consist of 40 experienced wildland firefighters from Alberta and a team of wildfire experts already traveling from British Columbia.
Quebec, which loaned two Super Scoops to California months ago and began assisting firefighting efforts last week, announced it would send two more aircraft.
No– For-profit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids has provided $500,000 in emergency grants to help residents and first responders recover from the Los Angeles wildfires.
“These wildfires have left deep scars but also ignited a powerful wave of support from Broadway to the West Coast,” Robert E. Wank, chairman of the board of directors of Broadway Cares/Equality Fights AIDS and chairman and CEO of The Shubert Organization Robert E Wankel said.
As wildfires rage across Hollywood, the film industry postpones award shows and premieres, and entertainment companies and unions raise funds for affected employees and members. Today, the Academy Awards further delayed nominations, while the Sundance Film Festival announced it would go ahead with its Utah event.
Here’s more from The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee:
The ongoing wildfires in California have further delayed this year's Oscar nominations, and the industry continues to feel its impact.
In Hollywood, 92,000 residents were under evacuation orders, the death toll reached 24, and many events were postponed and rescheduled.
This year's Oscar nominations were originally scheduled to be announced on January 17, but were delayed by two days due to wildfires. This morning, the Academy announced that nominations will be announced on January 23 and that the February Nominees Luncheon will be canceled.
Los Angeles prosecutor charges 10 people with wildfire crimes
Ten people have been charged for crimes committed during the Los Angeles wildfires, the District Attorney's Office announced.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said nine of the charges were robberies and the tenth charge was arson and were “not related to the origins of the major fires.”
Abene Clayton
As firefighters try to gain the upper hand in the fires burning parts of Los Angeles, more stories are emerging about people who died in the inferno. The county coroner told the family of actor Darius Curry, affectionately known as “Mom,” on Sunday that the 95-year-old grandmother's remains were found in her Altadena home, ABC 7 News reported was found in his home.
Curry, an actor who appeared in films including “The Blues Brothers” and “The Ten Commandments,” was “very active: you wouldn't think she was 95,” according to her granddaughter Lori Beamer-Wilkinson “.
Curry's other granddaughter, Dallyce Kelley, a part-time caregiver, said she dropped her grandmother off at the home late last Tuesday night. The next morning, she woke up to learn that the power was out at the Curry home. On Friday, she was escorted to the charred remains of her grandmother's home.
“It was just total destruction. Everything was gone except for her blue Cadillac,” Kelly told ABC 7.
The Duchess of Sussex has postponed the release of her new Netflix series due to wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
“Love, Meghan” was originally scheduled to premiere on Wednesday, but the streaming service said on Sunday that it supported her request and pushed for the premiere to focus on helping people affected by the fires.
The Duchess was born and raised in Los Angeles and now lives in Montecito, California with Harry, Duke of Sussex, and their two children.
The royal couple visited Pasadena on Saturday to distribute food and water to fire victims and express their gratitude to first responders.
With Love, Meghan is a lifestyle show in which the Duchess chats with celebrity friends and performs tasks such as flower arranging and baking. “I've always loved taking something very ordinary and elevating it,” Megan says in the trailer. The play will be released on March 4.
Wildfires could be costliest disasters in U.S. history
Although government agencies have not yet provided preliminary estimates of the damage caused by the Los Angeles wildfires, AccuWeather, a company that provides data on weather and its impacts, estimated the damage at about $250 billion to $275 billion.
That's far more than the damage caused by California's most destructive Camp Fire in 2018 ($30 billion) or the Maui fires in 2023 ($5.7 billion). It also caused more damage than Hurricane Helene, which devastated six southern states last fall ($225 billion to $250 billion).
According to preliminary estimates, the fire has killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 buildings.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass directed city officials to distribute hundreds of thousands of N95 masks to local libraries, recreation centers and senior centers.
“We are working hard to protect everyone from the poor air quality caused by the fires,” she shared on social media Monday afternoon. “Pick up your mask now to protect yourself and your loved ones.”