California wildfires: Death toll rises to 16 as catastrophic Palisades Fire expands, Santa Ana winds return

California wildfires: Death toll rises to 16 as catastrophic Palisades Fire expands, Santa Ana winds return

Thousands of firefighters working to contain wildfires around Los Angeles County benefited from relaxed winds on Saturday, but authorities warned the danger was far from over with winds expected to significantly increase again during the early workweek. The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire were responsible for most of the damage with more than 12,000 structures destroyed according to estimates.

January 11, 2025

Weather News

A look at the deadliest US wildfires in modern history

The deadliest wildfire event in U.S. history occurred in August 2023 on the Hawaiian island of Maui. The blaze devastated the historic town of Lahaina, where at least 102 people were killed and over 2,000 structures were destroyed.

January 11, 2025

Weather News

Exclusive video: California wildfire spreads to new neighborhood, destroying property and burning hillsides

Shifting winds have caused the Palisades Fire in Southern California to spread eastward, threatening homes in the neighborhood of Mandeville Canyon.

January 11, 2025

Weather News

Watch: Eerie ‘firenado’ spins up amid California’s destructive Palisades wildfire

A large fire whirl, sometimes referred to as a 'firenado', was spotted spinning amid the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles on Friday night.

January 11, 2025

Weather News

Los Angeles area back under Fire Weather Watch as strong Santa Ana winds return

Firefighters welcomed a break Saturday morning from the dangerous Santa Ana winds. But the reprieve will only be measured in hours, as strong winds return later Saturday.

January 11, 2025

Weather News

Spacecraft makes final flyby of smallest planet in solar system

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the joint Mercury mission in 2018. The BepiColombo spacecraft was expected to fly less than 200 miles above the surface of the Swift Planet. The spacecraft is expected to continue its journey and enter Mercury’s orbit, where it will study the planet's surface features and magnetic field.

January 10, 2025

Weather News

La Nina’s impacts were felt before NOAA declared pattern underway

Weather patterns across the U.S. and the world from October through December resembled patterns from previous La Niña events. La Niña is considered to be the cool phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and is characterized by lower-than-average sea-surface temperatures, with anomalies of at least -0.5 degrees Celsius over critical parts of the central and eastern Pacific.

January 10, 2025

Weather News

See it: Semi jackknifes along icy Little Rock interstate as winter storm rages

Slick roads amid a winter storm left a semi truck dangerously spinning across the lanes of an Arkansas highway as a trailing storm tracker’s cameras were rolling.

January 10, 2025

Weather News

Can ocean water be used to fight wildfires?

A firestorm that engulfed parts of Southern California took place within sight of the Pacific Ocean, causing some to wonder whether seawater could be used to douse the flames.

January 10, 2025