Castaic Lake Ravaged by Rapid Spreading Hughes Fire

A fast-moving brush fire raced across thousands of acres of thick vegetation near Castaic Lake Wednesday, forcing mandatory evacuations in the lake area and into the heart of Castaic, with warnings stretching toward Santa Clarita and reaching the Ventura County line. The Hughes Fire was reported at about 11 a.m. Wednesday in a remote area […]

Eaton Fire 91% Contained; Thousands Displaced

Santa Ana winds continued gusting across much of the Southland Wednesday as firefighters neared full containment Wednesday of the Eaton Fire that has destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 17 people. Containment of the blaze climbed to 91% Wednesday. Firefighters managed to further surround the blaze despite another round of threatening Santa Ana […]

Councilwoman Hernandez Proposes Guaranteed Income Program for Workers Impacted by

Los Angeles Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez’s office Wednesday announced motions intended to financially support wildfire survivors and bolster fire preparedness within hillside communities located in her First District. One of her motions called for a report on establishing a guaranteed basic income program for workers who lost jobs as a result of the fires that started […]

Preliminary Fire Damage to Cost at Least $385M

Damages and emergency response costs related to the early days of the multiple wildfires that burned in Los Angeles are anticipated to reach $385M with that figure expected to grow, according to a preliminary report issued Wednesday. During a discussion with City Council members, City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo said numerous facilities and public infrastructure […]

Rain Heading to SoCal? Prepare for Mudslides, Debris Flow Near Wildfire Areas

Even as Santa Ana winds continued to blast parts of the Southland, helping to fuel a new brush fire in the Castaic area, local authorities turned their attention Wednesday to the possibility of rain hitting the area this weekend and potentially triggering mud or debris flows in recent burn areas. Red flag warnings of high […]

Palisades Fire 68% Contained

Containment of the deadly Palisades Fire rose to 68% Wednesday and more evacuation orders were lifted, as fire crews again braved gusting Santa Ana winds as they worked to fully surround the burn area in and around Pacific Palisades. Much of the Los Angeles area will be under a red flag warning of critical fire […]

Convicted Fitness Trainer To be Retried for Molestation Charges

A well-known fitness trainer convicted of attempting to sexually assault a relative in Rancho Santa Margarita in 2012 won the right to a new trial on appeal, according to court records obtained Wednesday. John Spencer Ellis, 55, who was convicted Oct. 9, 2023, of attempted sexual penetration by foreign object of a minor, was sentenced […]

GLAAD Announces Media Award Nominees

GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, announced nominees for the 36th GLAAD Media Awards Wednesday, honoring “outstanding fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues in film, television, gaming, publishing, stage productions, music, podcasting, journalism, and more.” Wednesday’s announcement, made from New York, comprised 303 nominees across 33 categories. The awards […]

Real-Estate Agent Charged for Alleged Price Gouging Eaton Fire Victims

A real-estate agent is facing a criminal charge for allegedly attempting to price gouge a couple who lost their home in the Eaton Fire, officials announced Wednesday. The investigation into Mike Kobeissi began when a complaint was filed with the California Department of Justice after the couple tried to rent a home after the governor’s […]

Missing Pomona Woman Located

A 66-year-old woman who was reported missing in Pomona, prompting the issuance of a Silver Alert, has been located, authorities announced Wednesday. Faith Irwin had last been seen around 10 p.m. Sunday near West McKinley Avenue and Ganesha Place, according to the California Highway Patrol, which activated the Silver Alert on behalf of the Pomona […]

USC Scripter Nominees Include `A Complete Unknown,’ `Wild Robot’

The biopic “A Complete Uknown,” the animated adventure “The Wild Robot” and the papal drama “Conclave” were among the film nominees announced Wednesday for the 37th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honor writers of adapted screenplays and the original works on which they are based. Also nominated were the writers of “The Nickel Boys” […]