LA area's 2 biggest blazes burn at least 10,000 structures, while new fire leads to more evacuations

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The two biggest wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures, officials said as they urged more people to heed evacuation orders after a new blaze ignited and quickly grew.

The Kenneth Fire started in the late Thursday afternoon in the San Fernando Valley just 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from a school serving as a shelter for evacuees from another fire. It moved into neighboring Ventura County but a large and aggressive response by firefighters stopped the flames from spreading.

About 400 firefighters remained on scene overnight to guard against the fire flaring up.

Only hours before the Kenneth Fire roared to life officials expressed encouragement after firefighters aided by calmer winds and help from crews from outside the state saw the first signs of successfully beating back the region’s two devastating wildfires.

The Eaton Fire near Pasadena that started Tuesday night has burned more than 5,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. Firefighters were able to establish the first bit of containment Thursday.

To the west in Pacific Palisades, the largest of the fires burning in the LA area has destroyed over 5,300 structures and firefighters had no containment.

All of the major fires that have broken out this week are located in a roughly 25-mile (40-kilometer) band north of downtown Los Angeles, spreading a sense of fear and sadness across the nation’s second-largest city. No cause has been identified for the largest fires.

Several weather monitoring agencies announced Friday that Earth recorded its hottest year ever in 2024. “Hurricane Helene, floods in Spain and the weather whiplash fueling wildfires in California are symptoms of this unfortunate climate gear shift,” University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd said.

The level of devastation is jarring even in a state that has grown used to massive wildfires. A large portion of scenic Pacific Palisades has been obliterated. Dozens of blocks in the seaside neighborhood were flattened to smoldering rubble. In neighboring Malibu, blackened palm strands were all that was left above debris where oceanfront homes once stood.

At least five churches, a synagogue, seven schools, two libraries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks and groceries were burned. So too were the Will Rogers’ Western Ranch House and Topanga Ranch Motel, local landmarks dating to the 1920s.

The government has not yet released figures on the cost of the damage or specifics about how many structures burned.

AccuWeather, a private company that provides data on weather and its impact, on Thursday increased its estimate of the damage and economic loss to $135-$150 billion.

Firefighters made significant gains Thursday at slowing the spread of the major fires, but containment remained far out of reach.

Crews also knocked down a blaze in the Hollywood Hills with the help of water drops from aircraft, allowing an evacuation to be lifted Thursday. The fire that sparked late Wednesday near the heart of the entertainment industry came perilously close to igniting the famed Hollywood Bowl outdoor concert venue.

Earlier in the week, hurricane-force winds blew embers, that ignited hillsides.

Right now, it’s impossible to quantify the extent of the destruction other than “total devastation and loss,” said Barbara Bruderlin, head of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce.

“There are areas where everything is gone, there isn’t even a stick of wood left, it’s just dirt,” Bruderlin said.

Of the 10 deaths so far, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley confirmed two were in the Palisades Fire. County officials said the Eaton Fire had killed five. Cadaver dogs and crews are searching through rubble to see if there are more victims.

Two of the dead were Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to come and did not make it to safety when the flames roared through, Mitchell’s daughter, Hajime White, told The Washington Post.

Shari Shaw told KTLA that she tried to get her 66-year-old brother, Victor Shaw, to evacuate Tuesday night but he wanted to stay and fight the fire. Crews found his body with a garden hose in his hand.

On Thursday, recovery crews pulled a body from rubble of what was a beachfront residence in Malibu. A charred washer and dryer were among the few things that remained identifiable in the home along the Pacific Coast Highway.

At least 180,000 people were under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers), which is roughly the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles’ history.

All schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest, will be closed again Friday because of the heavy smoke wafting over the city and ash raining down in parts.

At least 20 arrests have been made for looting. The city of Santa Monica, which is next to Pacific Palisades, declared a curfew because of the lawlessness, officials said.

National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday evening. They'll be stationed near fire-ravaged areas to protect property.

Many celebrities live in areas devastated by fire. Among those who lost their homes were Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton.

Jamie Lee Curtis pledged $1 million to start a “fund of support” for those affected by the fires that touched all economic levels from the city’s wealthy to its working class.

California’s wildfire season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data.

Dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain since early May.

Robert Lara sifted through the remains of his home in Altadena on Thursday with tears in his eyes, hoping to find a safe containing a set of earrings that once belonged to his great-great-grandmother.

“All our memories, all our sentimental attachments, things that were gifted from generation to generation to generation are now gone,” he said.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio, and Watson from San Diego. Associated Press journalists Manuel Valdes, Eugene Garcia, Krysta Fauria and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles; Ethan Swope in Pasadena, California; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska; Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Janie Har in San Francisco; Brian Melley in London; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; and Tammy Webber in Detroit contributed.

Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen from the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Beach front properties are left destroyed by the Palisades Fire, in this aerial view, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

An emergency vehicle drives through a neighborhood devastated by the Eaton Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Two people hold hands while sifting through a fire-ravage property in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A helicopter flies over the Kenneth Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in the West Hills section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

From left, Rob Ramsey, Christina Larson and Larson's husband Chris, the co-owner of the Rancho Bar, look through the ruins of the Rancho Bar a day after it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Shane Torre douses hot spots of what remains of his home In Altadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Homes bordering the Pacific Ocean are burned to the ground in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Nancy Belanger pours water on a neighbor's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Glenda, who declined to give her last name, stands near the entrance of her home destroyed by the Eaton fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Beach front properties are left destroyed by the Palisades Fire, in this aerial view, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

A firefighter sets a backburn in front of the advancing Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Fire crews battle the Eaton Fire as it impacts a structure Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A man searches though his destroyed home after the Eaton Fire in Altadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Firefighters look over a home after the Eaton Fire burns in Altadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A beach front property is burned by the Palisades Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

A plume of smoke from a wildfire forms over the city's basin Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

A firefighter protects a beach front property while fighting the Palisades Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The ruins of a burned property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Homes are seen burned while a few still stand, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Ari Rivera, right, and Anderson Hao hold each other in front of their destroyed home in Altadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Paul Perri searches through his daughter's fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Firefighters extinguish burning embers at a house on Santa Rosa Avenue, also known as Christmas Tree Lane, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Robert Lara, left, looks for belongings along with his stepfather after the Eaton Fire burns in Altadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Firefighters look out over the Kenneth Fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in the West Hills section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Lissa Renn looks at remains of her neighborhood In Altadena, Calif., Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Robert Karban fills a bucket with water from a swimming pool to put out hot spots at a home destroyed by the Eaton fire, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Water is dropped by helicopter on the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

A VW van sits among burned out homes, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Two people ride bicycles amid the destruction left behind by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s acting leader on Friday accepted the resignation of the chief of the presidential security service, Park Jong-joon, as he faced police questioning over how his forces blocked law enforcement efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol last week.

The acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, also expressed regret over the clashes between law enforcement officials and the presidential security service and called for lawmakers to reach a bipartisan agreement to launch an independent investigation.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and police are planning a second attempt to bring Yoon into custody as they jointly investigate whether his brief martial law declaration on Dec. 3 amounted to an attempted rebellion. The presidential security service blocked an earlier attempt to detain Yoon at his official residence, which he has not left for weeks.

It wasn’t immediately clear how Park’s resignation and Choi’s call for an independent investigation to take over the probe on Yoon would affect the push to bring Yoon into custody.

“The government has been deliberating to find a wise solution, but unfortunately, within our current legal framework, it’s difficult to find a clear resolution to end the conflict between the two agencies,” Choi said about the tensions between the anti-corruption office and presidential security service over Yoon’s potential detention.

“We urge the ruling and opposition parties to work together to agree on a bill to launch a special prosecutor investigation that is free from constitutional issues. This will naturally resolve the ongoing intense standoff.”

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party accused Choi of legitimizing Yoon’s refusal to comply with a court-issued warrant under the guise of neutrality.

“It amounts to a public declaration of support for the leader of a rebellion,” said Noh Jong-myun, a party lawmaker and spokesperson.

The Democrats and other opposition parties on Thursday introduced a bill calling for an independent investigation into allegations of rebellion against Yoon.

An earlier bill by the opposition proposing an independent investigation was scrapped after members of Yoon’s conservative party opposed a clause allowing only opposition parties to recommend special prosecutor candidates.

The conservatives also aren't endorsing the new bill, which proposes that the Supreme Court’s chief justice recommend two candidates to Yoon, who would then select one as the special prosecutor. If Yoon refuses to appoint anyone, the older of the two candidates would automatically assume the role, according to the bill.

Park ignored two summonses before appearing for questioning on Friday over allegations of obstructing justice, a week after his forces repelled dozens of anti-corruption and police investigators from Yoon’s official residence. Park said his duty is to protect the president and warned of “bloodshed,” as critics said that his agency is becoming Yoon’s private army.

The embattled president remains holed up at his official residence in Seoul, where the presidential security service has fortified the grounds with barbed wire and rows of vehicles blocking the roads.

Yoon made a short-lived declaration of martial law and deployed troops to surround the National Assembly on Dec. 3, which lasted only hours before lawmakers managed to get through the blockade and voted to lift the measure.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14 and accused him of rebellion. His fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberating on whether to formally remove Yoon from office or reject the charges and reinstate him.

A Seoul court on Tuesday issued a new warrant to the anti-corruption agency to detain Yoon after the previous one-week warrant expired. The agency and police have not publicly disclosed how long the new warrant will remain valid.

Speaking to reporters upon arriving for police questioning, Park again criticized the efforts to detain Yoon, saying that the investigation should proceed in a manner “appropriate for the status of an incumbent president” and the “dignity of the nation.”

“Many citizens are surely deeply concerned about the possible conflict and confrontation between government agencies,” Park said. “I came here today with the belief that under no circumstances should there be any physical clashes or bloodshed, and am hoping to prevent such incidents from occurring.”

Park said he made several calls to Choi, urging him to mediate an alternative approach with law enforcement and also made similar requests to Yoon’s lawyers, but did not receive a satisfactory response. The anti-corruption agency had also criticized Choi for refusing to instruct the presidential security service to cooperate with its execution of the detainment warrant.

While the presidential security act mandates protection for Yoon, it does not authorize the service to block court-ordered detainments and some legal experts say the presidential security service’s action last week may have been illegal.

Asked in parliament about the presidential security service’s effort to block the detention, National Court Administration head Cheon Dae-yeop said Friday that “resistance without a legitimate reason can constitute a crime, such as obstruction of official duties.”

Although the president himself has wide-ranging immunity from prosecution while in office, that does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

Yoon’s lawyers have questioned the legitimacy of the new detention warrant against Yoon issued by the Seoul Western District Court, arguing that the anti-corruption agency lacks legal authority to investigate rebellion charges or order police to detain suspects.

They also argue that detention and search warrants against Yoon cannot be enforced at his residence, citing a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge — which would be Yoon.

Yoon’s lawyers have urged the agency to either indict the president or seek a formal arrest warrant, a process that requires a court hearing. However, they have said that Yoon would only comply with an arrest warrant issued by the Seoul Central District Court, which handles most key requests in high-profile cases.

They accuse the agency of deliberately choosing another court with an allegedly favorable judge, even though the official residence is located in the jurisdiction of the Western District Court.

Security personnel walk on a road lined up with buses blocking the entrance gate of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's residence in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Park Jong-joon, the chief of the presidential security service, arrives at the Joint Investigation Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. (Lim Hwa-young/Yonhap via AP)