Los Angeles officials are investigating the cause of the wildfire as many flames remain uncontained

Los Angeles officials said most of the wildfires are not contained throughout the city and urged residents to obey evacuation orders that continued Thursday.

Mayor Karen Bass presented this message along with police and fire leaders at a press conference on Thursday. The police said they have arrested 20 people on charges of robbery and burglary in evacuation centers, and it is expected that more people will be arrested.

“This is an unprecedented storm in history,” Bass said. “But we are all at a higher level. We need to continue to cooperate. We need to go out when we are asked to do so. We need to help others, help our neighbors. And most importantly, we need to stay united.”

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone announced that the Eaton and Palisades wildfires are 0% contained. The Eaton fire has spread to 10,600 acres, and the Palisades has reached 17,234 acres.

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Another wildfire in Lidia is 40% contained, Marrone said. That fire was limited to only 348 hectares. The fires in the Hollywood Hills and Sunset are not yet contained, but officials say they have successfully halted their progress.

“The cause of the fire is still unknown and under investigation,” Marrone said.

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As of Thursday afternoon, about 180,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and another 200,000 are under evacuation warnings.

A Super Scooper plane crashes in the Palisades fire on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, CA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell also noted that he is “not satisfied” with the current reporting of deaths from the storms. The current tally sits at five deaths, and McDonnell says he expects that number to rise.

Bass also noted that aircraft are also able to join firefighting efforts on Thursday. Strong winds prevented planes and helicopters from working on the fire on Wednesday.

A fire burns during the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. The most destructive hurricane to hit the Los Angeles area in 14 years is fueling wildfires and sending thousands of residents fleeing. their lives, with dangerous winds expected to continue for at least two more days. (Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The mayor faced sharp questions from journalists following the briefing, questions that revealed that he was out of the country when the fire started.

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“Do you think your leadership has been successful in responding to this crisis?” asked the reporter.

Bass said his focus is on saving lives, but said there will be time to investigate how Los Angeles prepared for the crisis later.