Crews Forge Ahead With Complex Eaton Fire Recovery Operation; Death Roll Rises to 17

Thursday afternoon fire officials reported significant progress containing the Eaton Fire while launching extensive recovery operations, with damage inspection teams documenting over 7,500 destroyed structures.

The fire, which has burned through steep terrain around Mount Wilson and Altadena, is now 65% contained with approximately 3,400 personnel working to control the 14,117-acre blaze.

The death toll rose to 17 and more evacuation orders lifted on the outskirts of the deadly burn area near Altadena and Pasadena.

There are 24 active missing-person cases from the Eaton Fire, Sheriff Robert Luna said.

“Crews continue to grow, direct and improve our hand line that’s all around this fire,” said Operation Section Chief Jed Gaines. “The total fire perimeter around this whole incident is just over 60 miles, so it’s taken some time, especially at the top of Mount Wilson, to get in some of these areas.”

Urban Search and Rescue teams have completed more than 8,800 home searches and over 1,100 miles of grid searches. Infrared flights show heat remains below Mount Wilson, around Echo Mountain, and in numerous ash pits throughout Altadena, creating hazards for both firefighters and utility crews working to restore services.

SoCal Gas has restored service to 961 customers, including 179 in eastern Pasadena. Residents must be present for service restoration checks, which take 1-2 hours, though customers won’t be billed during outages.

Air quality monitors currently show green readings but don’t detect volatile organic compounds from burned structures. Officials recommend that “children, elders and those with preexisting conditions delay their reentry into that location until all of the components are rested and settled and they’ve been cleared for the process.”

Weather conditions are expected to improve as marine layer moisture moves in, with humidity rising to 70-80% at lower elevations by Friday. However, incident meteorologist James White warned, “There’s already very high confidence that next week is going to be exceptionally dry. It’s going to be very, very dry, especially for January. We could see humidity dropping below 10%, so that is a fire weather concern.”

“We are working very closely with the state and our community and county partners to focus on the whole person and helping the whole person recover,” said FEMA public affairs specialist Nicole Wilson. “We are committed to this community. We are committed to the survivors, and we are going to be here as long as it takes.”

Some Altadena areas reopened at 3:00 p.m., including the Meadows area and Millard sections B and C. Residents need proof of residency such as a driver’s license or utility bill to access these areas. A curfew remains in effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in evacuation zones.

Damage assessment teams have completed 70% of their inspections, revealing: 4,356 single-family homes, 77 multifamily residential buildings, 123 commercial buildings, and 232 minor structures destroyed. An additional 771 structures sustained damage across all categories.

FEMA has dispersed $15.7 million in assistance and established a disaster resource center at Pasadena City College (3035 East Foothill Boulevard). The LA County Health Officer issued an order ensuring safe removal of hazardous debris containing materials like asbestos and lead. Residents returning to affected areas must wear proper protective equipment, including well-fitted N95 or P100 masks, long sleeves, goggles, and gloves.

Three additional firefighting crews from Canada are being deployed to provide relief to exhausted personnel who have been working in challenging terrain for more than a week. Officials continue to monitor conditions closely, particularly with another potential Santa Ana wind event predicted for next week.

The entire Angeles National Forest has been closed for public safety and the protection of natural resources through at least Sunday.