WEBVTT 00:01.200 --> 00:03.033 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% GEOFF BENNETT: Welcome to the News Hour. 00:03.033 --> 00:05.466 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% Firefighters are making some progress in the battle against a series of 00:05.466 --> 00:08.266 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% catastrophic wildfires around Los Angeles. 00:08.266 --> 00:13.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But new blazes have popped up in more than 10,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. 00:14.333 --> 00:15.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: At least ten people have 00:15.933 --> 00:18.300 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% been killed. And there's still more danger ahead, with winds 00:18.300 --> 00:22.866 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% expected to pick up once again this weekend. California Governor Gavin Newsom said the 00:22.866 --> 00:27.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% state will conduct an inquiry into the many questions about water supply that left some 00:27.866 --> 00:32.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% hydrants unusable. Stephanie Sy begins our coverage with this on the ground report. 00:34.600 --> 00:36.900 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: Wind started to ease today, giving firefighters a 00:36.900 --> 00:41.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% window to continue making progress on fires that burned for a fourth day around Los 00:41.733 --> 00:46.700 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Angeles. The Eaton fire, northeast of the city and the Palisades fire to the west are the 00:48.900 --> 00:52.333 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% largest. But others have continued to pop up, including the Kenneth Fire in the San Fernando 00:54.400 --> 00:58.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Valley. The fire prompted evacuations last night and burned about 1000 acres before 01:00.366 --> 01:03.900 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% firefighters brought it under control overnight. Officials warn more than 57,000 structures remain 01:05.933 --> 01:10.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% at risk. L.A. Mayor Karen Bass defended the city's response. 01:10.633 --> 01:13.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% MAYOR KAREN BASS: We are doing everything we can to bring this 01:13.200 --> 01:18.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% situation under control. And success has been reported. That is our number one job, 01:20.333 --> 01:24.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to protect people's homes, to protect people's businesses, and to prepare to rebuild Los 01:25.900 --> 01:28.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% Angeles in a much better way. LAWRENSON CARR: What I also knew 01:28.733 --> 01:32.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% with the way that the wind was that things could change on a dime. On 01:32.233 --> 01:37.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: Tuesday, Laruen Cynkar saw plumes of smoke coming over her house in Malibu. She 01:39.333 --> 01:42.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% quickly fled with her husband and watched through their security camera as the flames 01:42.433 --> 01:47.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% crept closer and closer. Before the feed went black. She hasn't been back to her property 01:49.233 --> 01:53.233 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% yet, but neighbors have sent photos that show what remains of her house. 01:55.300 --> 01:58.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% LAUREN CYNKAR: It's been a very strange couple of few days, really surreal at times, 02:00.900 --> 02:04.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and then other times like just deeply devastating. But it hasn't just happened to 02:04.733 --> 02:09.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% me. It's happened to so many people. So with that perspective, I think I've been able to 02:11.800 --> 02:15.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% sort of carry on. But then there are other moments where I'm like, I have nothing. Like, 02:17.300 --> 02:21.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% everything we had is gone except for the few stupid things that we grabbed on the way out. 02:23.200 --> 02:25.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% STEPHANIE SY: They've been staying at a hotel trying to figure out what comes 02:25.000 --> 02:28.233 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% next and reflecting on the community they've lost. 02:28.233 --> 02:33.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% LAUREN CYNKAR: It's a really paralyzing time right now, too. You don't really know which way to go. 02:34.433 --> 02:36.400 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% One of the things that has really, like, 02:36.400 --> 02:40.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% kind of hurt my heart a little bit is it seems that people view the Palisades, 02:42.000 --> 02:45.933 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% and Malibu is just like an enclave for celebrities who can afford to, 02:45.933 --> 02:50.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% you know, use their millions to rebuild in silly places and go about their lives. 02:50.300 --> 02:55.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% But my experience of our neighborhood is very different. You know, 02:56.500 --> 02:58.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% people that have been there their whole 02:58.533 --> 03:01.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% lives, these are real people that have lost everything that are going to have 03:01.433 --> 03:06.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% a really hard time for the next months and years ahead. We are getting our first real. 03:07.966 --> 03:09.733 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% TRACY PARK: We are getting our first real. Look at the extent 03:09.733 --> 03:13.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% of the devastation here in Pacific Palisades. 03:13.566 --> 03:18.533 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: Traci Park represents Pacific Palisades in the Los Angeles City Council. 03:18.533 --> 03:23.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% TRACI PARK: What happened in the Palisades over the last several days was not unpredictable. We 03:23.233 --> 03:28.233 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% already know when there is a wildfire event, our communication systems go down. We 03:30.200 --> 03:33.266 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% already know that during evacuation processes we have traffic bottlenecks. So to see 03:35.333 --> 03:38.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% those same issues repeat in what has now become the most devastating natural disaster 03:40.533 --> 03:44.200 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% in Los Angeles history is incredibly frustrating. 03:44.200 --> 03:49.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% STEPHANIE SY: Park says the L.A. Fire Department's budget is inadequate for today's needs. 03:50.700 --> 03:52.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% TRACI PARK: We have about the same number of firefighters 03:52.633 --> 03:55.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% and fire stations in the city of Los Angeles 03:55.333 --> 04:00.333 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% that we had 60 years ago. But our demands for service have tripled. 04:00.333 --> 04:02.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: There's 4 million people here. 04:02.133 --> 04:04.700 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% TRACI PARK: There's 4 million people in the city of Los Angeles. 04:04.700 --> 04:07.266 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% We have about 100 fire engines and 04:07.266 --> 04:10.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% ambulances out of service sitting in the maintenance yard. 04:10.700 --> 04:12.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: Why? Why is this the case? 04:12.566 --> 04:15.100 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% TRACI PARK: Because they don't have enough mechanics. And here in the 04:15.100 --> 04:20.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% city of Los Angeles, we need at least 62 new fire stations 04:21.566 --> 04:25.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% to meet average daily demand in our city. Not five, not ten, not 04:25.633 --> 04:30.633 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% 25, 62. I hope that this is a wakeup call to all of the leadership in the city of Los Angeles 04:33.100 --> 04:37.800 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% that this chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure and public safety cannot 04:37.800 --> 04:41.633 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% continue. This has got to be our number one priority going forward. 04:41.633 --> 04:46.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: With more than 150,000 people still under evacuation orders, 04:46.066 --> 04:51.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said a nighttime curfew would resume tonight in those areas. 04:52.433 --> 04:53.933 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% ROBERT LUNA: We're not doing this to inconvenience 04:53.933 --> 04:57.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% anybody. We're doing it to protect the structures, the 04:57.800 --> 05:02.800 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% houses that people have. Have left because we ordered them to leave. And I want them to 05:04.533 --> 05:08.000 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% feel confident that we are doing everything we can to secure that. 05:09.400 --> 05:11.800 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% STEPHANIE SY: At least 20 arrests have been made for 05:11.800 --> 05:15.333 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% looting or thefts already, according to the county sheriff. And in addition to local law enforcement, 05:17.600 --> 05:21.600 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% National Guard troops are now patrolling streets. In a briefing today in the Oval Office. 05:23.466 --> 05:26.200 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% President Joe Biden got an update on the fires and said his administration is 05:26.200 --> 05:30.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% working with President-elect Trump's team. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: They know every single 05:30.033 --> 05:34.833 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% thing we're doing about the work. The response. STEPHANIE SY: Back in Los Angeles, Councilmember 05:34.833 --> 05:39.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Tracey Park laments the future of the Pacific Palisades since many residents, especially those 05:41.333 --> 05:44.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% who were under or uninsured, may never be able to rebuild. 05:44.833 --> 05:47.000 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% TRACI PARK: They think the reality here is the Palisades 05:47.000 --> 05:51.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% is probably going to look and feel different. That's probably inevitable as people decide 05:54.033 --> 05:56.933 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% whether to rebuild, what to rebuild. And I think it also raises really important questions for our 05:59.066 --> 06:04.066 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% city about densification in areas that are prone to natural disasters. 06:05.833 --> 06:08.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% STEPHANIE SY: The Palisades are gone. That is a direct 06:08.700 --> 06:10.833 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% quote from the councilwoman we introduced you 06:10.833 --> 06:15.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to in the piece. And you can see the destruction behind me. Of course, there are a few 06:15.100 --> 06:19.200 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% pockets even in this neighborhood where miraculously some homes were completely 06:19.200 --> 06:23.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% untouched. But the councilwoman told us there is not a single elementary school in the 06:23.833 --> 06:28.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Pacific Palisades that is still standing. She also said there is not a lot to come back to. The 06:30.333 --> 06:34.866 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% water is unusable and the air is toxic. Amna back to you. 06:34.866 --> 06:38.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: So many layers of devastation there. It's definitely on top of all 06:38.300 --> 06:41.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% this. We know California has an insurance crisis, 06:41.733 --> 06:46.366 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% essentially. How does that play into the rebuilding efforts ahead? 06:46.366 --> 06:49.500 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: There are countless residents in the Pacific Palisades 06:49.500 --> 06:54.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% that are either not insured at all or underinsured. And that's because a lot of 06:54.133 --> 06:59.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% insurance companies simply refuse to provide fire insurance to homeowners here. Knowing 07:01.133 --> 07:04.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% this is a high risk wildfire area. So some residents, including the couple we spoke to 07:07.033 --> 07:11.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% this morning, say that they have a California coordinated insurance plan of last resort. 07:13.166 --> 07:17.000 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% That is a very expensive plan. Not everybody has it, and they are almost surely not going to 07:19.033 --> 07:22.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% recover enough funds to rebuild. So that is a real concern, what the Pacific Palisades will 07:24.600 --> 07:27.800 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% look like going ahead. The councilwoman said to us that Los Angeles did not have the resources 07:29.933 --> 07:33.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to fight this fire alone. And they will not have the resources to rebuild and recover alone. 07:35.533 --> 07:38.400 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: Stephanie Sy reporting on those devastating wildfires in California. 07:38.400 --> 07:41.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% Stephanie, thank you to you and the team. 07:41.533 --> 07:43.266 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% STEPHANIE SY: Thank you.