California Today: An Inferno in Southern California, and One Family’s Escape

Today's top stories from California.

January 12, 2025, 9:30 a.m. Eastern time By Tejal Rao All week, I've been reassuring friends and family across the world checking in over texts, DMs and WhatsApp messages with this: We're safe <3. But right now in Los Angeles, safety is a provisional state. At home in Highland Park, my husband and I planned where we might shelter and packed our go bag — several go bags. We stashed passports, some jewelry, stacks of family photos from the late 1990s still in their red Kmart sleeves, diapers and wipes for the baby, and supplements for our elderly dog. We checked our locations against Watch Duty, glanced at group texts and shook off all the false alarms. On Friday, I came home to find my husband putting away some tools. He'd been busy installing a little coat rack near the front door, right at my daughter's height. We'd talked about doing this weeks ago, so she could reach her jacket and the bag she takes to day care with her lunch and snacks inside. Her day care in Pasadena is closed. We're not sure yet when it will reopen. But all week my husband tinkered around the house, taking care of it, the baby and me. He did laundry and cooked dinner and repaired a cabinet and dropped off supplies for a mutual-aid group in the neighborhood. I wrote We're safe because that was all that mattered and because it was hard to explain the heartache of loving Los Angeles this week and calling it home. If you were lucky to still be at home, to still have a home, then it was the heartache of packing a go bag, but also putting up new coat hooks. It was the heartache of getting ready to go, and at the same time, getting ready to stay. Today's Top Story Isadora Kosofsky for The New York Times An Inferno in Southern California, and One Family's Escape Aurielle Hall knew she had little time to get herself and her daughter out of Altadena. Convincing Aunt Cheri would be a different challenge. Read more More California News L.A. Mayor and Fire Chief Try to Show a United Front Amid Tensions At a news conference, Mayor Karen Bass said she and the fire chief, who claimed the city had not sufficiently funded the Fire Department, were in "lock step." For Just Dollars a Day, Inmates Fight California's Fires Hundreds of incarcerated people are firefighting in Los Angeles. They are paid a maximum of $10.24 a day, and receive an additional $1 for each hour that they battle the deadly blazes. Amid L.A. Evacuations, Fears of Looting Take Hold Residents barred from returning to their neighborhoods face a secondary threat, and the city, with painful collective memories of looting, is on guard. Canada and Mexico Are Sending Teams to Help California Fight the Fires Air tankers, firefighters and technicians from the neighboring countries are on their way to Los Angeles in a show of solidarity. Palisades Fire Could Test Getty Center's Efforts to Protect Its Art Collection The museum, which describes itself as the "safest places for art during a fire," is now in a mandatory evacuation zone. Officials said the galleries "are safe and protected." Harry and Meghan Visit Survivors of Los Angeles Fires The couple met with emergency medical workers and people who evacuated their homes in Pasadena, Calif., near the giant Eaton blaze. As L.A. Fires Rage, Trump and Newsom's Hostilities Resurface California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, and President-elect Donald J. Trump have long feuded. Can the rancor be set aside to help a devastated city recover? Los Angeles Is Starring in an All-Too-Real Disaster Story A reporter, an L.A. native, has watched movies and TV destroy her hometown for years, but nothing can prepare someone for seeing real devastation. Local Conditions Look up the heat index in your area using The Times's heat tracker. See active fires using The Times's wildfire tracker. Today's Recipe Melina Hammer for The New York Times Sourdough Pancake or Waffle Batter By Sam Sifton 15 minutes, plus overnight rest Makes 4 servings Play a Game The Mini Crossword Solve this bite-sized puzzle in just a few minutes. Spelling Bee How many words can you make with 7 letters? Wordle Guess the 5-letter word with 6 chances. See all our games Sign up for Your Places: Extreme Weather. Get notified about extreme weather before it happens with custom alerts for places in the U.S. you choose. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for California Today from The New York Times. To stop receiving California Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018