Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News / Getty Images
ALTADENA (CNS) - The Eaton Fire that has caused multiple deaths and destroyed or damaged thousands of structures remained 0% contained Friday despite Santa Ana wind conditions diminishing slightly in many areas.
However, gusty conditions persisted on the mountain top Thursday, hampering aerial firefighting efforts as flames crawled through treetops and thick vegetation toward the peak of Mount Wilson, threatening the observatory and a series of broadcast towers critical for local television and radio outlets.
Sheriff's officials called for immediate evacuations of any people on the mountain. Authorities said at an afternoon briefing that none of the major infrastructure on the mountain had been damaged despite the encroaching flames.
The Eaton Fire was reported at about 6:20 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the hills above Altadena amid hurricane- force Santa Ana winds, according to Cal Fire. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said Thursday morning the spread of the fire had been significantly slowed in most areas thanks to efforts of firefighters and diminishing winds.
By Thursday afternoon, however, the advance on Mount Wilson increased the size of the fire from 10,600 acres in the morning to 13,690 acres.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said previously that five people were confirmed dead in the Eaton Fire. But Luna was hedging his comments on fatalities Thursday, saying he was "not satisfied with some of the information" he was receiving. He suggested Thursday afternoon that the five deaths were a combination of victims from the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Luna said the sheriff's department was working with the county medical examiner, and investigators will eventually make a more thorough search of the Eaton Fire and other fire areas.
He noted that some of the burn areas "look like a bomb was dropped on them."
No details about any of the fatalities were released. One of the people who died was identified by his daughter as Rodney Nickerson, 82, of Altadena. His daughter Kimiko told NBC4 that her father died in his bed while he was home alone at 352 Alta Pine Drive. She said her father bought the house in 1968 and she was raised there.
She described her dad as "funny, the life of the party," adding that he "loved sports, people, (and was a) very intelligent man. He loved to read."
Relatives identified two other Eaton Fire victims as Anthony Mitchell, 67, and Victor Shaw, 66.
The county fire department reported Thursday that four firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze, though no specifics were released. Marrone said Thursday afternoon that another firefighter had suffered a "significant" injury in a fall, but he was expected to recover.
Marrone said earlier there were "a number of significant injuries" due to the fire, adding that many injuries that occurred in the various fires occurred among people who failed to heed evacuation orders.
Marrone said Thursday investigators believe at least 4,000 to 5,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the fire, including homes, commercial buildings and other smaller structures.
Among the structures destroyed in the fire was the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center.
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation reported that the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park's Davies Community Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Altadena Golf Course Club House and adjacent buildings were destroyed.
Also destroyed in the blaze was The Bunny Museum in Altadena.
"Open 26 years. The world's only museum about everything bunny," museum officials posted on Facebook. "Guinness World Record certified -- 1999, 2011, 2023. Saved only a few bunny items. Saved the cats and bunnies. The museum was the last building to burn around us..."
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Wednesday that more than 32,500 residents were placed under evacuation orders in the nearby regions including Pasadena and Altadena.
Initially dubbed the Close Fire but later changed to the Eaton Fire, the blaze quickly exploded in size after it began Tuesday night, driven by the same Santa Ana winds that sparked numerous other wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The erratic winds grounded aerial firefighting assets Tuesday night, and ground crews were unable to keep pace with the flames' advance overnight.
Firefighting aircraft were able to resume flights Wednesday morning.
Lisa Brounstein and her husband lost their 100-year-old Altadena home on West Harriet Street. They evacuated on Tuesday night after grabbing a handful of items, including some clothes, their computers and the contents of their safe.
"We left behind so much, including all the tools and materials for my small business. We were sure we were going back this morning when the winds died down and the fire danger was over," she said.
"Instead, early this morning we got a notification from our alarm system that a smoke detector detected fire. Then one by one, all the window monitors went off, letting us know the windows were open. That was when we knew our house was gone. It was later confirmed by two neighbors. ... We loved our little house. It was perfect! It had just turned 100 in 2024. This feels surreal."
Residents of La Cañada Flintridge were ordered to evacuate by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Mandatory evacuation orders were issued Tuesday for the area north of New York Drive, east of Altadena Drive and west of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, U.S. Forest Service officials reported.
As the fire grew, other evacuations were mandated in the area, including all Arcadia residents north of Orange Grove Avenue.
Evacuation orders were also issued by Glendale city officials in Chevy Chase and Glenoaks canyons on Wednesday morning. Those orders were lifted early Thursday.
An evacuation center was established at the Arcadia Community Center at 375 Campus Drive.
Pasadena officials ordered evacuations for residents north of Orange Grove/Rosemead Boulevard, east of Lake Avenue and west of Michilinda Avenue. An evacuation center for those residents and others affected by the blaze was established at the Pasadena Civic Center, 300 E. Green St.
A city official said about 1,200 people stayed overnight at the shelter Wednesday, and about 500 more stopped by on Thursday to pick up supplies.
On Thursday, people could be seen at the Pasadena center carrying pillows, food and other items being distributed to fire victims.
Veronica Osborn, 64, said she lost her Ventura Avenue home in Altadena.
"I've been there for 14 years," she said. "I was fixing up my bathroom, (doing) a renovation, and now it's all gone. I thought I was going to cry. Now I am going to cry. I'm going to rebuild, but I say to myself am I going to be anxious every time the wind blows?"
Residents along Kinneloa Canyon Road, Outpost Lane, Glen Springs Road, Coolidge Avenue, Roosevelt Avenue, Veranada Avenue, Kinclair Drive, Fox Ridge Drive, Canyon Close Road and Grand Oaks Avenue were all told to evacuate on Tuesday.
An evacuation center was also established at El Camino Real Charter High School, 5440 Valley Circle Blvd. in Woodland Hills for people impacted by the various fires in the Southland.
On Tuesday night, buses and ambulances were brought in to evacuate dozens of people from a senior center in the path of the fire. Staff at the center were seen on camera pushing residents down a street in wheelchairs to get them out of the area.
Crews from the U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County and Pasadena were working to slow the flames.
As he did earlier with the Palisades Fire, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced late Tuesday that the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover costs of battling the Eaton Fire.
As a result of the fire, the Glendale, Pasadena and Burbank unified school districts have canceled classes for the remainder of the week. Classes were also canceled Thursday in the Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada, Arcadia and Monrovia districts.
The Pasadena City College campus will be closed through Sunday, according to a notice on its website, which said that operations are suspended and classes are canceled until that time.
Caltech advised online that it was closed Thursday, but intends to resume operations Friday, pending assessments of the situation. Although the campus is not under direct threat from local fires, "gusty winds and smoky air continue to impact the campus" and hundreds of Caltech staff, faculty, and non- resident students have been affected, the school stated.