UPDATE: Nevada Sending Help to Fight Deadly Los Angeles Wildfires

Posted on: January 8, 2025, 01:07h. 

Last updated on: January 9, 2025, 01:20h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

UPDATE: Dozens of firefighters from Las Vegas and elsewhere in Nevada are heading to help battle massive fires in California for up to two weeks. After hearing that Clark County Fire Department will send firefighters to battle the Los Angeles wildfires, UFC CEO Dana White reportedly posted on Instagram, “Much respect to all the first responders from Nevada and California. ANYTHING you need … [from] Me or @ufc, we got you!”

EARLIER: First responders from Nevada are heading to Los Angeles to assist in fighting wildfires that have destroyed approximately 1,000 structures and forced the evacuation of about 80K residents.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone announced at a Wednesday morning press conference that an unspecified number of first responders will be coming from Nevada, as well as from Oregon and Washington State. Others will come from throughout California to assist hard-working fire crews in Los Angeles.

“Thank you to the first responders from Nevada, Oregon, and Washington State that are already on the road coming to LA County to assist,” Marrone said.

They are needed after Los Angeles fire departments maxed out on personnel for battling the four continuing wildfires that started on Tuesday morning.

The LA County Fire Department operational area consists of 29 separate fire departments in LA County,” Marrone explained. “And all of those fire departments are at drawdown with no fire apparatus or additional personnel to spare.”

Marrone also requested additional crews under a mutual aid agreement with Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties in California. Fire crews were also requested from elsewhere in the state.

Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades is one of four active fires impacting the region. Over 5,000 acres have burned and there is no current containment.

The fire is growing,” Marrone said about the Palisades fire on Wednesday. “We have an estimated 1,000 structures destroyed.”

He added there is a “high number” of injuries to residents who didn’t evacuate, as well as to first responders who are fighting the fires.

The Palisades fire started in the Santa Monica Mountains on Tuesday morning. It spread from about 200 acres to some 3,000 acres within hours.

Residents from Pacific Palisades, as well as those from Malibu and Calabasas were among those who were ordered to leave their homes.

Other Fires

Local firefighters also are battling the uncontained Eton Fire, which involves over 2,000 acres. Two civilians died in this blaze. There were “a number of significant injuries,” Marrone added. Over 100 structures were destroyed.

Los Angeles City Fire Department Chief Kristin M. Crowley noted that the Hurst and the Pacific Palisades fires demanded a lot of attention.

These fires are stretching the capacity of emergency services to their maximum limits,” Crowley told reporters. “We’re going to continue to work hard to ensure that we save people, lives, and property.”

Another uncontained fire is in the Woodley area. A fifth fire, in the Tyler area, was 50% contained as of Wednesday.

Fighting the fires is more difficult due to a lack of water pressure or no water coming from some hydrants in the impacted areas, according to news reports.

Over 13K structures are at risk of catching fire while about 250K customers were without power as of Wednesday morning in Los Angeles County.

Strong winds are causing the flames to spread and dry conditions are contributing to the fast-moving fires. Wind gusts up to 60 mph are expected to continue through Thursday.

Reports of looting have occurred in areas where residents were evacuated and two people were arrested on looting charges as of Wednesday, police said.

The wildfires are a significant distance away from Los Angeles-area cardrooms and tribal casinos.