1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:03,033 GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the News Hour. 2 00:00:03,033 --> 00:00:05,466 Firefighters are making some progress in the battle against a series of 3 00:00:05,466 --> 00:00:08,266 catastrophic wildfires around Los Angeles. 4 00:00:08,266 --> 00:00:13,266 But new blazes have popped up in more than 10,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. 5 00:00:14,333 --> 00:00:15,933 AMNA NAWAZ: At least ten people have 6 00:00:15,933 --> 00:00:18,300 been killed. And there's still more danger ahead, with winds 7 00:00:18,300 --> 00:00:22,866 expected to pick up once again this weekend. California Governor Gavin Newsom said the 8 00:00:22,866 --> 00:00:27,866 state will conduct an inquiry into the many questions about water supply that left some 9 00:00:27,866 --> 00:00:32,866 hydrants unusable. Stephanie Sy begins our coverage with this on the ground report. 10 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:36,900 STEPHANIE SY: Wind started to ease today, giving firefighters a 11 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:41,733 window to continue making progress on fires that burned for a fourth day around Los 12 00:00:41,733 --> 00:00:46,700 Angeles. The Eaton fire, northeast of the city and the Palisades fire to the west are the 13 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:52,333 largest. But others have continued to pop up, including the Kenneth Fire in the San Fernando 14 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,133 Valley. The fire prompted evacuations last night and burned about 1000 acres before 15 00:01:00,366 --> 00:01:03,900 firefighters brought it under control overnight. Officials warn more than 57,000 structures remain 16 00:01:05,933 --> 00:01:10,633 at risk. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass defended the city's response. 17 00:01:10,633 --> 00:01:13,200 MAYOR KAREN BASS: We are doing everything we can to bring this 18 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,200 situation under control. And success has been reported. That is our number one job, 19 00:01:20,333 --> 00:01:24,400 to protect people's homes, to protect people's businesses, and to prepare to rebuild Los 20 00:01:25,900 --> 00:01:28,733 Angeles in a much better way. LAWRENSON CARR: What I also knew 21 00:01:28,733 --> 00:01:32,233 with the way that the wind was that things could change on a dime. On 22 00:01:32,233 --> 00:01:37,233 STEPHANIE SY: Tuesday, Laruen Cynkar saw plumes of smoke coming over her house in Malibu. She 23 00:01:39,333 --> 00:01:42,433 quickly fled with her husband and watched through their security camera as the flames 24 00:01:42,433 --> 00:01:47,400 crept closer and closer. Before the feed went black. She hasn't been back to her property 25 00:01:49,233 --> 00:01:53,233 yet, but neighbors have sent photos that show what remains of her house. 26 00:01:55,300 --> 00:01:58,833 LAUREN CYNKAR: It's been a very strange couple of few days, really surreal at times, 27 00:02:00,900 --> 00:02:04,733 and then other times like just deeply devastating. But it hasn't just happened to 28 00:02:04,733 --> 00:02:09,733 me. It's happened to so many people. So with that perspective, I think I've been able to 29 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:15,233 sort of carry on. But then there are other moments where I'm like, I have nothing. Like, 30 00:02:17,300 --> 00:02:21,333 everything we had is gone except for the few stupid things that we grabbed on the way out. 31 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,000 STEPHANIE SY: They've been staying at a hotel trying to figure out what comes 32 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,233 next and reflecting on the community they've lost. 33 00:02:28,233 --> 00:02:33,233 LAUREN CYNKAR: It's a really paralyzing time right now, too. You don't really know which way to go. 34 00:02:34,433 --> 00:02:36,400 One of the things that has really, like, 35 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,266 kind of hurt my heart a little bit is it seems that people view the Palisades, 36 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,933 and Malibu is just like an enclave for celebrities who can afford to, 37 00:02:45,933 --> 00:02:50,300 you know, use their millions to rebuild in silly places and go about their lives. 38 00:02:50,300 --> 00:02:55,266 But my experience of our neighborhood is very different. You know, 39 00:02:56,500 --> 00:02:58,533 people that have been there their whole 40 00:02:58,533 --> 00:03:01,433 lives, these are real people that have lost everything that are going to have 41 00:03:01,433 --> 00:03:06,433 a really hard time for the next months and years ahead. We are getting our first real. 42 00:03:07,966 --> 00:03:09,733 TRACY PARK: We are getting our first real. Look at the extent 43 00:03:09,733 --> 00:03:13,566 of the devastation here in Pacific Palisades. 44 00:03:13,566 --> 00:03:18,533 STEPHANIE SY: Traci Park represents Pacific Palisades in the Los Angeles City Council. 45 00:03:18,533 --> 00:03:23,233 TRACI PARK: What happened in the Palisades over the last several days was not unpredictable. We 46 00:03:23,233 --> 00:03:28,233 already know when there is a wildfire event, our communication systems go down. We 47 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,266 already know that during evacuation processes we have traffic bottlenecks. So to see 48 00:03:35,333 --> 00:03:38,733 those same issues repeat in what has now become the most devastating natural disaster 49 00:03:40,533 --> 00:03:44,200 in Los Angeles history is incredibly frustrating. 50 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:49,200 STEPHANIE SY: Park says the L.A. Fire Department's budget is inadequate for today's needs. 51 00:03:50,700 --> 00:03:52,633 TRACI PARK: We have about the same number of firefighters 52 00:03:52,633 --> 00:03:55,333 and fire stations in the city of Los Angeles 53 00:03:55,333 --> 00:04:00,333 that we had 60 years ago. But our demands for service have tripled. 54 00:04:00,333 --> 00:04:02,133 STEPHANIE SY: There's 4 million people here. 55 00:04:02,133 --> 00:04:04,700 TRACI PARK: There's 4 million people in the city of Los Angeles. 56 00:04:04,700 --> 00:04:07,266 We have about 100 fire engines and 57 00:04:07,266 --> 00:04:10,700 ambulances out of service sitting in the maintenance yard. 58 00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:12,566 STEPHANIE SY: Why? Why is this the case? 59 00:04:12,566 --> 00:04:15,100 TRACI PARK: Because they don't have enough mechanics. And here in the 60 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:20,100 city of Los Angeles, we need at least 62 new fire stations 61 00:04:21,566 --> 00:04:25,633 to meet average daily demand in our city. Not five, not ten, not 62 00:04:25,633 --> 00:04:30,633 25, 62. I hope that this is a wakeup call to all of the leadership in the city of Los Angeles 63 00:04:33,100 --> 00:04:37,800 that this chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure and public safety cannot 64 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,633 continue. This has got to be our number one priority going forward. 65 00:04:41,633 --> 00:04:46,066 STEPHANIE SY: With more than 150,000 people still under evacuation orders, 66 00:04:46,066 --> 00:04:51,066 L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said a nighttime curfew would resume tonight in those areas. 67 00:04:52,433 --> 00:04:53,933 ROBERT LUNA: We're not doing this to inconvenience 68 00:04:53,933 --> 00:04:57,800 anybody. We're doing it to protect the structures, the 69 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,800 houses that people have. Have left because we ordered them to leave. And I want them to 70 00:05:04,533 --> 00:05:08,000 feel confident that we are doing everything we can to secure that. 71 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:11,800 STEPHANIE SY: At least 20 arrests have been made for 72 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,333 looting or thefts already, according to the county sheriff. And in addition to local law enforcement, 73 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,600 National Guard troops are now patrolling streets. In a briefing today in the Oval Office. 74 00:05:23,466 --> 00:05:26,200 President Joe Biden got an update on the fires and said his administration is 75 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:30,033 working with President-elect Trump's team. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: They know every single 76 00:05:30,033 --> 00:05:34,833 thing we're doing about the work. The response. STEPHANIE SY: Back in Los Angeles, Councilmember 77 00:05:34,833 --> 00:05:39,833 Tracey Park laments the future of the Pacific Palisades since many residents, especially those 78 00:05:41,333 --> 00:05:44,833 who were under or uninsured, may never be able to rebuild. 79 00:05:44,833 --> 00:05:47,000 TRACI PARK: They think the reality here is the Palisades 80 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,733 is probably going to look and feel different. That's probably inevitable as people decide 81 00:05:54,033 --> 00:05:56,933 whether to rebuild, what to rebuild. And I think it also raises really important questions for our 82 00:05:59,066 --> 00:06:04,066 city about densification in areas that are prone to natural disasters. 83 00:06:05,833 --> 00:06:08,700 STEPHANIE SY: The Palisades are gone. That is a direct 84 00:06:08,700 --> 00:06:10,833 quote from the councilwoman we introduced you 85 00:06:10,833 --> 00:06:15,100 to in the piece. And you can see the destruction behind me. Of course, there are a few 86 00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:19,200 pockets even in this neighborhood where miraculously some homes were completely 87 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:23,833 untouched. But the councilwoman told us there is not a single elementary school in the 88 00:06:23,833 --> 00:06:28,833 Pacific Palisades that is still standing. She also said there is not a lot to come back to. The 89 00:06:30,333 --> 00:06:34,866 water is unusable and the air is toxic. Amna back to you. 90 00:06:34,866 --> 00:06:38,300 AMNA NAWAZ: So many layers of devastation there. It's definitely on top of all 91 00:06:38,300 --> 00:06:41,733 this. We know California has an insurance crisis, 92 00:06:41,733 --> 00:06:46,366 essentially. How does that play into the rebuilding efforts ahead? 93 00:06:46,366 --> 00:06:49,500 STEPHANIE SY: There are countless residents in the Pacific Palisades 94 00:06:49,500 --> 00:06:54,133 that are either not insured at all or underinsured. And that's because a lot of 95 00:06:54,133 --> 00:06:59,133 insurance companies simply refuse to provide fire insurance to homeowners here. Knowing 96 00:07:01,133 --> 00:07:04,900 this is a high risk wildfire area. So some residents, including the couple we spoke to 97 00:07:07,033 --> 00:07:11,000 this morning, say that they have a California coordinated insurance plan of last resort. 98 00:07:13,166 --> 00:07:17,000 That is a very expensive plan. Not everybody has it, and they are almost surely not going to 99 00:07:19,033 --> 00:07:22,400 recover enough funds to rebuild. So that is a real concern, what the Pacific Palisades will 100 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,800 look like going ahead. The councilwoman said to us that Los Angeles did not have the resources 101 00:07:29,933 --> 00:07:33,700 to fight this fire alone. And they will not have the resources to rebuild and recover alone. 102 00:07:35,533 --> 00:07:38,400 AMNA NAWAZ: Stephanie Sy reporting on those devastating wildfires in California. 103 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,533 Stephanie, thank you to you and the team. 104 00:07:41,533 --> 00:07:43,266 STEPHANIE SY: Thank you.