Hillside horror: How California's Eaton Fire fast expansion decimated Altadena community
The Eaton Fire is among the largest of the infernos that have burned a large swath of the Los Angeles area and has been the deadliest since erupting Jan. 7 in north Pasadena.
The blazes — including the Pacific Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Hurst and Lidia fires — have killed residents, burned tens of thousands of acres, destroyed whole communities and forced thousands of Angelenos to flee their homes.
Fire crews have yet to fully contain the Eaton Fire, which devastated much of Altadena and is now burning mostly in the San Gabriel Mountains.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, has added the Eaton blaze to the state’s list of the 20 most destructive wildfires.
Here’s a timeline of the fire’s growth and impact.
Monday, Jan. 6: Red flag warning
Jan. 6, 2025, 7:47 p.m.: The National Weather Service Los Angeles places the Los Angeles and Oxnard areas under a red flag warning. The agency posts on X that “Strong winds are coming,” and warns of the “particularly dangerous situation” as it is ripe for fire weather. Damaging winds of 50 to 80 mph were expected across the region, with some areas predicted to see 80 to 100 mph winds.
Tuesday, Jan. 7: Winds fan the flames
Jan. 7, 2025, 5 p.m.: More than 28,000 Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers are without power as crews work to respond to the impacts of the damaging winds.
6:18 p.m.: Firefighters respond to a fire reported near Eaton Canyon in Pasadena.
8:12 p.m.: The Angeles National Forest posts on X that the Eaton Fire has grown to 200 acres and announces that evacuations are underway.
8:25 p.m.: Minutes later, the Forest Service issues a mandatory evacuation notice to several neighborhoods, including those along Altadena Drive, Outpost Lane and Glen Springs.
9:03 p.m.: Authorities announce that the Eaton Fire is spreading beyond 200 acres and mandatory evacuations are in place north of New York Drive, east of Altadena Drive and west of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue.
9:14 p.m.: The Eaton Fire grows to 400 acres.
10:38 p.m.: Los Angeles Unified School District alerts parents and families that it’s closing a handful of schools the next day, Jan. 8.
11:17 p.m.: Authorities expand evacuation orders to include all residents living south of Sierra Madre to Interstate 210, and Lake Street to Santa Anita Avenue.
Wednesday, Jan. 8: 5 fatalities reported
Jan. 8, 2025, 12:58 a.m.: The Eaton Fire’s footprint expands to 1,000 acres.
4:25 a.m.: Authorities impose additional evacuation orders for those living north of Woodbury to I-210 and east of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
4:58 a.m.: Areas under evacuation orders include 52,314 residents and 20,890 structures.
7:13 a.m.: A post on X by the Angeles National Forest reports the fire’s growth to 2,227 acres as firefighters, totaling 700, have 0% of it contained. More than 28,000 structures are threatened by the fire.
7:36 a.m.: Authorities close Angeles Crest Highway 2 from La Canada Flintridge to Angeles Forest Highway. The Angeles Forest Highway remains closed at Big Tujunga Road.
9:30 a.m.: LA Unified announces additional closures at schools in the central and eastern parts of Los Angeles, which is experiencing hazardous air quality conditions.
2:18 p.m.: The Critics Choice Awards postpones its upcoming 30th annual ceremony to Jan. 26. The event was initially scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 12.
6:40 p.m.: LA Unified notifies parents that all its schools will be closed the next day, Jan. 9.
7 p.m.: Authorities report that the fire has spread to 10,600 acres, with none of it contained. Five civilians are reported dead, and four firefighters are injured during the fire.
Thursday, Jan. 9: Eaton, other wildfires take toll
12:27 p.m.: LA Unified announces that schools and district offices will remain closed on Friday, Jan. 10.
Mid-afternoon: At a news conference at the White House, President Biden says the federal government will fund 100% of the disaster response costs over the next six months as the LA area recovers from wildfires.
4:04 p.m.: News outlets report that Los Angeles County intends to implement a 6 p.m. curfew in the areas around the Palisades and Eaton fires to address looting.
5:11 p.m.: The NBA postpones the Los Angeles Lakers’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets amid the ongoing wildfires.
5:49 p.m.: The NFL announces that it’s relocating the Los Angeles Rams’ home wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, Jan. 13, to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
7 p.m.: More than 1,000 structures are either damaged or destroyed while roughly 40,000 structures are at risk. During the day, the Eaton Fire grows to 13,690 acres. Nearly 1,400 first responders are deployed to battle the blaze, which remains 0% contained. A fifth firefighter is reported injured.
Friday, Jan. 10: Firefighters begin to get a handle on blaze
Jan. 10, 2025, 7 a.m.: The fire reaches 13,690 acres. The roughly 1,600 firefighters assigned to combat the blaze contain 3% of it overnight, and efforts to protect the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Mount Wilson Observatory are successful. Protecting life and property and continuing to patrol for looters are the priority, fire officials said.
Saturday, Jan. 11: Contained, for now, in its current footprint
Jan. 11, 2025, 9:36 a.m.: The blaze grows to 14,117 acres but fire officials are optimistic it will remain in its current footprint. More than 2,500 firefighters are assigned, and the fire is 15% contained. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Mount Wilson Observatory San Gabriel Mountains, both threatened earlier, appear out of danger. Fire officials say they plan to increase urban search and rescue damage assessments.
Sunday, Jan. 12: An optimistic forecast
11:08 a.m.: The blaze has remained at 14,117 acres and is 27% contained, but firefighters report active fire behavior within the fire lines. CalFire reports 1,213 structures destroyed, 180 structures damaged and 39,428 structures threatened. Eight people are reported dead, and five firefighters are reported injured. Limited fire growth is forecast, but smoldering and creeping is expected to continue.
(This story was updated to add new information.)