Fires continue, containment increases, destruction figures rise, animals saved as winds abate a bit

Fires continue to destroy structures mid-day Wednesday. Containment percentages are increasing, 
according to L.A. mayor. Because of long, costly recovery, officials are concerned about major events scheduled: World Cup matches in 2026, 2027 Super Bowl and even the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The Griffith Observatory is still a perfect place to view
 the famous Hollywood sign. The icon remains safe while
wild winds contribute to the worst fires in the state's history.  

FIRES DESTROY, THREATEN LANDSCAPE, ICONIC BUILDINGS, HISTORIC LOS ANGELES LANDMARKS

MANY HELP AS TRAGEDY BRINGS OUT BEST AND WORST IN HUMANITY

Editor's Note: We're updating this story daily with new figures and progress on containing  Palisades, Eaton and 6 other fires. The fires began early last Tuesday, 9 days ago.

The Los Angeles Equestrian Center has organized a large
animal rescue center, a Noah's Ark for horses, donkeys
and other critters escaping the fire. Many horses have been
 rescued from the Pasadena, Eaton and other areas where
many have long enjoyed the bond between human and horse.
                                                                                                        --photo courtesy Reuters

Thursday update: Some good news: the Los Angeles Equestrian Center has been transformed into a modern-day Noah's Ark. Over the last week, it has taken in hundreds of horses and other animals from the disaster as part of its official role as one of the city's largest animal Finally some good news: Fires are contained at 21 per cent.  Anticipated 70mph Santa Ana winds did not yet occur but more red-flag winds are predicted for next week. People are being turned away from assessing damage of their lost homes because of hazardous conditions -- precarious structures, smoldering embers, downed power, gas and water lines. National Guard, LA police and fire departments continue to  work overtime. LA's fire chief cautioned Thursday: "We are still not out of the woods."  The city desperately needs rain as the drought continues. Although Santa Ana winds are less, they are still slowing efforts to control the burn. Palisades and Eaton fires continue to be the most deadly with steep, dry, complex terrain.  Hundreds of fire crews, police and National Guard continue to work overtime. More than 300,000 residents continue under evacuation orders or warnings. Officials have cut power as far away as some Ventura and east San Diego County areas as preventative efforts. 

This firetruck is one of hundreds fighting fires on the
Pacific Coast Highway and several nearby areas.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

& courtesy Los Angeles Times & Associated Press

We often stopped at the Rosenthal Wine Bar and Patio on
the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. The length of the
highway from Malibu to Santa Monica has been closed.

JUST 8 DAYS ago, we drove through Pacific Palisades, admiring the artful wooden homes, the variety of architecture and lushness of landscape along the iconic Pacific Coast Highway.

We travel sections of it each year. Nothing like it anywhere else in the world, and we are proud to live in a state with such verdant landscape. Even with 15 million people, there are pockets of peace and beauty.  That's now changed.

We're tracking the fire -- the worst in Los Angeles history -- and it makes us sad.  It also makes us feel lucky since we were in the city and on the highway less than a day before devastating fires that continue to rage.

25 PEOPLE have died, many are missing and being treated for burns and smoke inhalation.  Officials say the death toll is likely to be higher. More than 20,000 structures have burned and at least 180,000 residents have evacuated or are under evacuation warnings, as of Wednesday. Experts say even downtown L.A. is far from out of danger. The fires are the worst in the state and considered the costliest wildfire caused catastrophe in American history. Because of long, costly recovery efforts, officials are concerned about major upcoming sports events, including the 2027 Olympics.

Palisades High School, photographed before fires
 burned part of the grounds and delayed term opening.

PLACES WE know and love are gone or badly damaged.  The city's 100-year old NBC building was damaged but not destroyed. A friend's daughter evacuated and sought refuge near us in San Diego while her friend lost her home.  Cousins of our Tel Aviv friends fled from their home in Hollywood Hills, not knowing if they'll find it intact. Multiple wildfires fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds, have burned nearly 110,000 acres in at least five fires. The winds, which occur most often in the fall and winter, push dry air from the desert. That coupled with drought caused the record breaking devastation. 1,300 fire engines, 84 aircraft and 14,000 people are fighting the fires.

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie"
Meyers stopped at Santa Monica
Pier often, as recently as last Monday.
The beloved playground and area
closed Thursday indefinitely.

AS WITH most tragedy, people are showing their true colors. Heroic rescues of horses, dogs, cats and birds are widespread as people show compassion and help others. One rancher is transporting horses to safety for free in her new 10-horse trailer. Our San Diego hotels are offering half-price rooms. Humane societies are full of abandoned and fire damaged pets, many lost in the confusion as their owners hurried to evacuate. One man dressed as a fireman was arrested while scouring burned residential areas. Looting, pillaging and pickpocketing have increased as others take advantage of the situation. Officials warn people to be vigilant, knowing there is shock and confusion.

Palisades Charter High School, training ground of many celebrities and the high school where Brian De Palma brough Stephen King’s “Carrie” to life, was covered in smoke.

MOVIE BUFFS may not know its name, but they've seen footage of the beautiful campus and school, which was to start a new term on Monday. It caught fire last Tuesday, burning athletic facilities, bungalows, and parts of rear buildings and landscape.

Will Rogers’ historic ranch house at Will Rogers State Park was destroyed and a motel owned by William Randolph Hearst -- the beautiful Topanga Ranch Hotel -- burned to the ground.

One of the city's fabled viewing sites, Griffith Observatory, was engulfed in smoke and evacuated, but safe.  It's a beautiful place to admire the famous Hollywood sign. The sign is still intact, albeit shrouded in smoke. Nearby celebrity homes labeled at risk as the blaze grew. Both the Getty Center and Getty Villa Museum are closed. The Villa sustained smoke damage as nearby landscape was burned but its fire-resistant structure saved it. The Center closed out of precaution, although it is presently not endangered by the fires.

The Pasadena Humane Society is rescuing 
hundreds of animals, both wild and domestic.
Hundreds of horses and donkeys have been
relocated to stables not in danger.
 

ONE OF OUR favorite stopping off places and a beloved Malibu institution is gone. The Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio along the Pacific Coast Highway was badly damaged by the the fire, along with other popular restaurants in the area. Photos from the Rosenthal scene showed debris and damage surrounding the location's popular oversized chairs, table and wine bottle.

There are multiple fires. The Palisades and Eaton Fire, between Malibu and Santa Monica, has burned more than 12,000 homes, while 30 miles inland, Eaton officials warn of "an immediate threat to life" in Altadena, near Pasadena. More than 20,000 acres have burned there. The Hurst Fire in the San Fernando Valley northwest of downtown L.A., has forced hundreds of residents to leave.

Eaton Fire photographed Thursday afternoon. 

MID-DAY last Thursday as fires raged across the greater Los Angeles area, 335 schools had closed, affecting more than 211,000 students.

When I updated this story, Jan. 16, parts of the 8 fires were slowly coming under control and many buildings partially saved. Other parts of the fires blaze on. Rain is hoped for, naturally. As for the land -- trees, birds and critters -- this cannot be replaced and takes decades to restore.
I THINK of the Yellowstone Park fires of 1988 which burned nearly a million acres -- at least 800,000 acres by even the most conservative estimate. One still sees fire damage -- 37 years later -- so we know it will be decades before Los Angeles recovers to anything recognizable. As frequent visitors, we mourn the loss of life, landscape, animals, birds and buildings. We'll find ways to help.

 

A few of the hundreds of stars interviewed by Christene Meyers,
in a promotion her newspaper created during her long career.
Meyers founded the arts section of The Billings Gazette with her
mentor Kathryn Wright, and interviewed stars during her long career.

UP NEXT: A love story to Los Angeles.  Through the years, writer Christene Meyers has spent at least 2,500 days -- or about seven years of her life -- in Los Angeles. This explains the grief she shares with millions as the horrible fires change the city forever.  Walk with her back in time to a city beloved by legions, founded by the Spanish in 1781 and now home to stage and screen stars and Hollywood studios. It's a nostalgic piece about theater, movies, hotels, and a woman's lifelong attraction to a city she describes as magic. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh look at the arts, travel, nature, family and more: www.whereiscookie.com