Containment of the deadly Palisades Fire has risen to 43% Saturday, up overnight from 39%, with firefighters catching a break from the weather thanks to forecasts of low clouds and good humidity levels.
“Firefighters continue to work hard on establishing and improving contingency lines to provide for the safety of the public and incident personnel,” according to a statement from Cal Fire released Friday night.
There is “an increased need for specialized supplies related to all-hazards response for responders and repopulating civilians, including masks, respirators, gloves, eye protection and decontamination,” according to Cal Fire.
Winds are expected to remain calm through the weekend, but another Santa Ana wind event is in the forecast for early next week.
The fire was 18% contained Tuesday night, 21% contained Wednesday night, 27% Thursday night and 31% Friday morning, according to Cal Fire. It has scorched 23,713 acres since erupting Jan. 7.
Evacuation orders were eased or lifted at midday Friday in more than three dozen zones on the outskirts of the burn area. Residents in about a dozen neighborhood zones were cleared to return to their homes on Thursday.
Residents returning to the areas will be required to show identification. Some of the homes in the areas being repopulated may not have power, as the Department of Water and Power is awaiting approval from fire authorities before re-energizing lines in the fire zone.
All affected residents were urged to confirm their evacuation status by visiting protect.genasys.com/search and typing in their address.
At least 10 people have died in fire, although authorities said they anticipate the number of fatalities to continue rising as crews begin sifting through the ash and rubble.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said Thursday the department is investigating five missing-person reports in the Palisades Fire area. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had seven active cases in areas near the Palisades Fire as of Thursday night.
At least 5,000 structures are believed to have been destroyed or damaged in the blaze that has been burning since Jan. 7. As of Friday evening a total of 3,797 structures had been confirmed destroyed, and 617 damaged.
That number is also expected to rise as more assessments are done in the burn area.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Southern California Gas Co. officials had shut off service to about 13,600 customers in the Palisades Fire area for safety reasons, but the utility reported Friday that it has restored service for 2,959 of those customers.
The Gas Co. has established an information booth for residents that will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Pavilions store at 29211 Heathercliff Road in Malibu to provide information for customers.
According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, 10,084 customers in Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Bel-Air and Encino were still without power for safety reasons as of Friday morning. Power was restored to more than 4,000 customers in Brentwood, Bel-Air and Encino after fire officials authorized the utility to switch those circuits back on.
DWP officials said if customers see that their neighbors have power, but they do not, they should try to resent the circuit breaker. If there’s still no power, they can call DWP at 800-342-5397.
A curfew continues to be in effect nightly from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the mandatory evacuation areas in the Palisades and Eaton fire zones. Only firefighters, utility workers and law enforcement personnel are allowed in those areas.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported Thursday that 47 people had been arrested in fire areas patrolled by the sheriff’s department — 36 in Eaton Fire area, and 11 in the Palisades Fire area.
McDonnell said Tuesday the LAPD had made 14 arrests in areas it patrols.
The arrests by both agencies included a variety of offenses, including curfew violations, burglary, drug and weapon possession, DUI, vandalism and ammunition possession. McDonnell said one person was arrested for suspicion of impersonating a police officer, and another for suspicion of impersonating a firefighter.
Luna said another person was arrested Tuesday night near the Palisades fire for impersonating a firefighter.
Luna told KNX News Friday morning that California Highway Patrol officers arrested two people who were using fake media credentials to try to access the burn area.
The Santa Monica Police Department, which implemented mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders in the northern part of the city, announced that it has made roughly 40 arrests.
Malibu campuses in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District are scheduled to reopen Tuesday, following Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.According to Cal Fire, detailed damage inspection maps for properties within the Palisades Fire footprint showing damaged or destroyed homes — as well as homes that are not damaged or destroyed — can be found at www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/palisades-fire.
Los Angeles County officials said its damage assessments can be viewed at www.recovery.lacounty.gov/palisades-fire. They will be updated daily in real time.
The Palisades Fire erupted around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives as the area was under a red flag warning for critical fire danger due to a historic wind event that saw gusts of 80 mph. It continued to grow exponentially Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, driven by heavy fuel loads and powerful Santa Ana winds.