California fires updates for Friday, Jan. 24; Weekend storm preview

After weeks of dealing with fires, Southern California will soon have to brace for possible weekend storms and potential mudslides.

The concerns over rainfall come as the red flag warnings will expire for Southern California at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Follow FOX 11’s live blog with the latest updates provided in the timeline below:

Palisades Fire repopulation

12:35 p.m.: Some evacuations in the Palisades Fire zone were downgraded to resident-only access. Law enforcement said they would conduct escorts between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. for Zone LOS-0767-I and previously repopulated areas. Residents were asked to arrive at Parking Lot 3 located at 1150 Pacific oast Highway in Santa Monica by 4:30 a.m.

A curfew remains in effect for all Palisades Fire zones.

Residents in the following zones must check in at a staging area located at the Malibu Pier between 6 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.:

• TOP-U007-A
• RRC-U027-C
• MTN-U028-A
• SDP-U029-A
• RMB-U030-A
• RMB-U030-B
• RMB-U030-F
• RMB-U030-G
• MAL-C111-A
• MAL-C112-B
• TOP-U009-A
• TOP-U008-B
• SSM-U010-A
• SSM-U010-B
• MAL-C111-B

Fire zone information can be found online at Genasys Protect.

Fire under 10 Freeway in Boyle Heights

12:25 p.m.: A fire erupted under the 10 Freeway in the Boyle Heights area. The California Highway Patrol reported that the smoke was possibly coming from a homeless encampment.

RELATED: Boyle Heights fire sparks near 10 Freeway

Newsom meets with firefighters

11:45 a.m.: Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was not invited to meet with President Donald Trump on Friday, met with firefighters following the LA firestorm.

“My deepest appreciation goes to the men and women on the frontlines that continue to protect our communities. They have faced intense, unrelenting conditions, battling fires along thousands of acres, all while fighting extreme conditions on the ground. We will continue to help Californians, not only by putting these wildfires out, but also as they begin their road to recovery,” Newsom said in a released statement.

Sepulveda Fire contained

11:42 a.m.: The Los Angeles Fire Department announced that the Sepulveda Fire is now 100% contained. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported. Firefighters worked throughout the night and morning to ensure no hot spots remained, and all impacted areas have been verified “cold” by LAFD drone reconnaissance.

Caltrans surveys burn scars

11:37 a.m.: Caltrans shared on social media that they are using drones to survey burn scar areas ahead of this weekend’s storm.

Pasadena Jewish Temple vows to rebuild

10:20 p.m.: FOX 11’s Brooke Thomas reports from the Pasadena Jewish Temple that has vowed to rebuild after the Eaton Fire

Rain, mountain snow expected to hit SoCal

10:45 a.m.: In addition to possible flash flooding, FOX 11 Meteorologist Soumada Khan said the storm is likely to bring snow to the mountain communities and could impact travel along the passes, including the Grapevine.

LA County sandbag distrubution centers

10:30 a.m. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works established four sandbag distribution centers where residents impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires can pick up sandbags. Sandbags can also be picked up at select LA County and LA fire departments.

• Information on sandbag pickup centers at LA County fire stations
• Information on sandbag distrubution centers at LA City fire stations. 

Trump provides remarks ahead of LA visit

9 a.m.: President Trump made remarks in North Carolina before departing for Los Angeles. “We’re putting America first. We’re putting North Carolina and California…we’re going to do a good job in California. That is a diaster like…I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “It is a bad, bad situation.”

Wildfire burn areas brace for mudslides

8 a.m.: Residents whose homes were spared by the LA wildfires are now bracing for the possibility of mudslides.

Latest containment numbers on the Eaton, Palisades and Hughes fires

7 a.m.: The latest numbers with the Eaton, Palisades and Hughes fires can be found below.

Hughes Fire

• Acres: 10,396 acres
• Containment: 56%

Eaton Fire

• Acres: 14,021 acres
• Containment: 95%

Palisades Fire

• Acres: 23,448
• Containment: 77%

President Donald Trump to tour fire zones

6:30 a.m.: During his first trip of his second term, President Trump is expected to travel to Southern California and tour the areas impacted by the recent wildfires.

Crews prepare for possible mudslides amid incoming storm

6 a.m.: While residents impacted by the wildfires continue the long road to recovery, they must now prepare for wet weather that could trigger mudslides and other land movement.

Santa Ana winds to ease as rain chances move in

5 a.m.: FOX 11 Meteorologist said Santa Ana winds would ease and a Red Flag Warning would expire by 10 a.m. Rain chances are expected from this weekend into early next week.

The Hughes Fire

The Huges Fire was first reported in the Castaic area on Wednesday, Jan. 22 along Lake Hughes Road near Castaic Lake. Within an hour, the fire exploded from 50 to 500 acres. Officials quickly issued evacuation orders and warnings, including students who were taken to other schools and locations.

The first day of the firefighter also caused a temporary closure of the Grapevine along the 5 Freeway.

By the next day, several evacuation orders and warnings were downgraded.

The Eaton Fire

The Eaton Fire was first reported on Tuesday, Jan. 7 near Altadena and Midwick drives.

Some residents did not survive the flames and at least 7,000 structures were destroyed.

Authorities have implemented a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for all areas that remain under mandatory evacuation orders in the Altadena area. This comes after more than 30 looting arrests were made by the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but they were fueled by extreme drought conditions, combined with the supersized Santa Ana winds that whipped flames and embers at 100 mph – much faster than usual.

A lawsuit filed Monday claims Southern California Edison equipment sparked the Eaton Fire.

The lawsuit alleges that Southern California Edison failed to comply with essential electrical and fire safety standards, including failing to maintain power lines and overgrown vegetation.

The Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire broke out on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 7 as parts of Southern California were hit by powerful Santa Ana winds – the strongest to hit the area in over a decade, officials said.  The piercing winds not only intensified the spread of the fire, it also prevented helicopters and planes from dumping water or fire retardant onto the burning scene as it was too dangerous to fly during the first day of the massive fire.

The fire extended well over 23,000 acres in seven days, destroying homes and businesses across the Pacific Palisades and Malibu. The fire also forced evacuations across parts of LA County, including Bel-Air, Brentwood and Santa Monica.

The fire also destroyed the Pacific Palisades Charter High School and other schools in the fire’s path.

What caused the Palisades Fire?

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, a popular hiking destination, Skull Rock – an area north of Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades – is at the center of an investigation “as a possible starting point for the Palisades fire.”

Meanwhile, local authorities have announced multiple rounds of arrests taking place from the Palisades Fire scenes, but none of which are explicitly related to the cause of the fire. Over the weekend, there was an announcement of a man arrested for impersonating a firefighter. The alleged “fake firefighter” was accused of trying to break into one of the evacuated homes.

Other people have also been accused of arson across Southern California.