Resources are limited as dry brush ignites fires across Southern California
By ONME News
Several counties in Southern California are in a state of emergency due to several, fast-moving fires that have been carried and enhanced by Santa Anna winds.
Tuesday January 7 is when three major fires sparked in forestry areas in Southern California and with the help of hurricane force winds, collectively burned 22,000 acres in just 24 hours. The first fire, the Pacific Palisades, began at 10:30 a.m. on that day near 1190 North Piedra Morada (near Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu, Calif.), according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Winds reaching at least 40+ mph, quickly spread the original 10-acre fire to 200 acres in roughly 12 minutes. The Pacific Palisades fire has burned 17,230+ acres with 0 percent containment as of 9:00 AM PST, according to CalFire where over 1,000 building have been destroyed by fire (Update as of 6:00 PM PST: 6% containment.)
Meanwhile, the Eaton fire started in Altadena on the late evening of January 7. It has taken the lives of five people and injured several others. Over 750 firefighters have been working tirelessly over the Eaton fire and yet 10,600 acres have burned and there is 0 percent containment as of January 9 at 9:00 AM PST according to CalFire.
The Hurst fire also began that late night, burning 855 acres in just a few hours; it is 10 percent contained as of January 9 at 9:00 AM PST according to CalFire.
On the afternoon of January 9, the Kenneth fire erupted affecting Ventura and Los Angeles counties and it is 0 percent contained according to CalFire; 960 acres have burned thus far.
Also on that Tuesday, due to the high winds over 50 mph, flight restrictions over the affected burn areas prevented fire fighters from dropping flame retardants over the area and the media from getting a full picture of the fires.
As evacuation orders remain in place for over 180,000+ Southern California residents near the Eaton and Palisades fires, gas shut offs are also in effect to avoid further explosions in neighborhoods.
Other challenges fire fighters faced included blocked roads due to evacuees who panicked and left their cars in the middle of the road, preventing emergency trucks from getting through; many of the expensive homes were so high up in the mountains, the roads are too small for the fire trucks to fit and the water pressure from the fire hydrants in some areas was so low they had to wait, and watch properties just burn, or the hydrants had no water available.
On Wednesday, January 8, two more significant fires broke out sparking dry brush instantly: The Lidia fire, now 40 percent contained, has burned 348 acres thus far and was followed by the Sunset fire later that evening that threatened the affluent Hollywood Hill homeowners. The Sunset fire is 0 percent contained and has burned 60+ acres instantly as of January 9 at 2:00 AM PST.
Neighboring states have stepped in to help: Fire fighters and emergency personnel are coming from Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington, as most of the Southern California fire fighters and emergency personnel are overwhelmed and exhausted; any off-duty workers were also asked to come back and help fight the three fires.
According to AccuWeather, the combined fire damages are amounting to over $57 billion as some of the most expensive, million-dollar homes are burning in California and tourist attractions are also burned down. Most of these homeowners do not have property insurance because they live in high-risk fire areas. The Biden-Harris Administration has agreed to provide public and individual resources for the aftermath of those affected by the fire. The cause of the Palisades and Eaton fires is unknown and is under investigation by several local and state agencies.
Residents in the area can sign up for Los Angeles County emergency alerts here and also get access to emergency resources.
Is there a rain disparity between Northern and Southern California? Short answer, yes. Read why below.
Too wet and too dry: The crazy north-south gap in California’s rain
by Alastair Bland January 8, 2025
A remarkably wet kickoff to Northern California’s rainy season has coincided with a desperately dry fall in Southern California — a huge disparity, perhaps unprecedented, between the haves and have-nots of rainfall.
Los Angeles usually gets several inches of rain by now, halfway into the rainy season, but it’s only recorded a fifth of an inch downtown since July, its second driest period in almost 150 years of record-keeping. The rest of Southern California is just as bone-dry.
At the same time, much of the northern third of the state has weathered nearly two months of storms, flooding and even tornadoes. Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco, has received more rain than nearly any other city in California — nearly two times its average rainfall to date. At the city’s airport, almost 7 inches fell on Nov. 20 alone, an all-time daily record.
Northern California is always wetter than the semi-arid southern half. But the scale of the north-south gap that has persisted for several months has stunned experts.
“There have been few if any years since 1895 … that have been so much above-normal in the northern part of the state while simultaneously so dry in the south,” Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, wrote in his blog Weather West. He added, in an email exchange with CalMatters, that “it is likely that the current north-south disparity is record-breaking in magnitude by at least some metrics.”
This season’s stark imbalance isn’t bad in terms of water supply. That’s because Northern California’s rain and snow feed major reservoirs, which provide much of the water used by Californians. If this occurred in reverse — a wet south and a dry north — most of the water would remain uncaptured, providing little benefit for supplies.
Snowfall to date has followed a similar pattern, with relatively heavy snowpack accumulating in the northern Sierra Nevada and substantially below-average levels in the southern Sierra.
Continue to read the rest of this news story at CalMatters.
Compliments of CalMatters: Sign up for county's alerts
The list only includes information for California counties’ primary emergency alert systems.
Find your county
Alameda County: In the black “AC ALERT” box, click on the yellow “Subscribe” button to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll.
Alpine County: In the “SIGN UP FOR REVERSE 911” section, follow the blue Douglas County link, then click “Proceed to Site.” Check the box next to “Yes, I agree” to agree to the terms, then click “Continue” to proceed to the Douglas County, Nev. registration portal. Enter your information to enroll. Alpine County Public Information Officer JT Chevallier confirmed to CalMatters that the county uses the Douglas County system to send emergency alerts.
Amador County: Click on the blue “Amador County Emergency Alerts” link toward the bottom of the page to get to theSmart911 registration portal. Click on the green “SIGN UP NOW” button to create an account. If you previously registered with the CodeRED system, Amador County encourages you to register with the current system, Amador County Emergency Alerts, to continue receiving emergency notifications.
Butte County: Click on the green “Sign up for BCSO CodeRED Notifications” link and select the “Proceed to Site” button to get to the CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications” and severe weather alerts.
Calaveras County: Click on the “SIGN UP FOR CALAVERAS ALERT” image to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Click the blue “SIGN UP HERE” link to create a new account. You can choose to receive severe weather alerts and customize the alert delivery method.
Colusa County: Under the “Our Emergency Alerts” section, click the green “Sign up for Emergency alerts from RAVE Mobile” link to get to the Rave registration portal. Click on the green “REGISTER” button in the upper right-hand corner. Follow the instructions to register.
Contra Costa County: Click “Register to Receive Emergency Alerts” located in the black box with a yellow alert icon on the right side of the page. Click “Acknowledge” to proceed, then enter your information to register. Contra Costa County’s Public Safety & Emergency Information page also contains links to emergency information including a link to the Community Warning System page.
Del Norte County: Click the “SIGN UP NOW!” link in the Del Norte Community Alert System Section to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Create an account, then follow instructions to register.
El Dorado County: Click the blue “Alert Notification System ‘RAVE’” link to get to the sign-up instructions page. Update your Contacts with the emergency alerts phone number listed under the “Save El Dorado County Emergency Alerts in your Contacts” section. Under “New Users,” select the “CLICK HERE” link to proceed to a Smart911 registration portal. Follow the instructions to register.
Fresno County: Scroll down to the black “Register to receive Emergency Alerts” button, located in a red box. Click the button to proceed to the Everbridge registration portal. Create an account, then follow instructions to enroll.
Glenn County: Scroll down to the blue “Sign up for CodeRed Emergency Alerts” link. Click the link, then click “OK” to proceed to the CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account which allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications” and severe weather alerts. Alerts can be received in English or Spanish.
Humboldt County: Scroll down to read Humboldt Alert Sign Up Instructions or click on the “SIGN UP FOR NOTIFICATIONS” button to proceed to the Everbridge registration portal. Click on the red “SIGN UP HERE” link to create a new account. You can add up to five addresses, include pertinent information about family members’ needs, and choose how you would like alerts delivered. If you previously registered with VESTA Alert, you need to register for the current system, Humboldt ALERT, to continue to receive notifications.
Imperial County: Check the box next to “Yes, I agree” to agree to the terms, then click “Continue” to proceed to the registration page. Follow instructions to enroll. As of publication, the Imperial County Public Health Department’s Reverse 911 website has a registration link that does not work. Imperial County Public Information Officer Eddie Lopez provided the alternative registration link and said the county is working on making updates to the outdated county page.
Inyo County: At the bottom of the page, click on the blue link following “Sign up for CodeRED automatic alerts here” to get to a CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications.”
Kern County: Scroll to the bottom of the page, in the blue “Sign Up for Emergency Alerts” section, click the “CLICK HERE TO REGISTER” button to get to the Everbridge registration portal; follow instructions to enroll.
Kings County: Click the “SIGN UP HERE” link, located in the red button. This will redirect you to a Smart911 registration portal. Click the green “SIGN UP NOW” button to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll. As of publication, King County’s Office of Emergency Management website contains a registration link that does not work.
Lake County: Click the green “Register for LakeCoAlerts” link, then select the “Proceed to Site” button to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option in the upper right-hand corner to create an account. In your account, you can register up to five addresses and choose how you want notifications delivered to you. The LakeCoAlerts page lists the numbers used by LakeCoAlerts, which you should save to your Contacts.
Lassen County: Under “Click Below to register to receive alerts,” click the “BE PREPARED Before an Emergency Strikes” banner to get to a Genasys registration portal; follow instructions to enroll. In your account portal, click the bell icon in the menu on the left to control which types of notifications you receive.
Los Angeles County: Click the green “REGISTER FOR ALERT LA COUNTY” button to get to a CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications” and severe weather alerts.
Madera County: Follow the blue “www.mcalert.org” link to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Click the “Sign Up” option to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll. You can choose to receive “Weather Notifications” and “Non-Emergency Notifications” in addition to emergency alerts.
Marin County: Click the blue “Sign-up for AlertMarin” link to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll.
Mariposa County: In the beige menu (on the left side of the page on desktop, and closer to the bottom third of the page on mobile), select “Emergency Alerts Sign-up” to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Click the blue “SIGN UP HERE” link or select the “Sign Up” option in the upper right-hand menu.
Mendocino County: In the “How to Sign Up” section, follow the green “Visit the Everbridge Registration page to Sign up for the MendoAlert, the Mendocino County Emergency Notification and Alert System” link to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to create an account. In your account, you will be able to register multiple addresses and have the option to add information about your family’s access or functional needs.
Merced County: Click on the red “Register for the Merced County Emergency Notification System” button to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Click the red “SIGN UP HERE” link to create a new account. Follow instructions to register.
Modoc County: In the menu (on the left side of the page on desktop, and near the bottom of the page on mobile), select “Genasys Emergency Notification” to get to a Genasys login page. Select the green “Click here to register” link located beneath the “Log In” button. Follow instructions to enroll.
Mono County: Click on the white “Sign Up for Emergency Alerts” link to get to a Genasys registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll.
Monterey County: Click the green “Sign Up for Alerts” button to get to a Genasys registration portal. Take note of the phone numbers and emails the emergency alert notifications will be coming from and save them to your Contacts. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Click here to register” to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.
Napa County: Click the blue “Sign Up” button to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll. You can choose to receive notifications from various agencies.
Nevada County: The page lists emergency alert numbers to save to your Contacts. Click the red “Register CodeRed” button on the right-hand side of the page to get to a CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications” and severe weather alerts.
Orange County: In the “Register Alternate Phone Numbers with AlertOC” section, follow the blue “AlertOC” link to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu in the top right-hand corner of the page to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.
Placer County: On the “Placer Alert” page, click the “Citizen Alert Notification Sign Up” button or follow the green “Placer Alert system” link. Either of these will redirect you to the Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.
Plumas County: Scroll down to the red “Rapid Emergency Notification System – Register Now” link. Follow this link to the Genasys registration portal, or continue scrolling down for detailed registration steps. On the Genasys registration portal, select the “Click here to register” link below the “LOG IN” button to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.
Riverside County: Scroll down to the Alert RivCo registration form. Enter your information here to enroll. After enrolling, log in to your account to register your address with the system. You can choose to receive general notifications in addition to emergency notifications.
Sacramento County: Click on the blue “Sign up now on the Emergency Alerts website” link to proceed to the Smart911 registration portal. Select the green “SIGN UP NOW” button to enroll. In your account, you can add additional addresses and include medical, access, and functional needs of your family. You may also choose which types of alerts you’d like to receive and customize the delivery method.
San Benito County: Scroll down to the “Register with Genasys to Stay Informed!” section. Click on the orange link next to the SBC alert icon to proceed to the Genasys registration portal. This page lists the emergency alert numbers to save to your Contacts. Select the “Click here to register” link at the bottom of the page beneath the “LOG IN” button to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.
San Bernardino County: In the “TENS” section, click the blue “Register today” link to get to a Smart911 login page. Click the green “SIGN UP NOW” button to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.
San Diego County: Scroll down to the orange “AlertSanDiego” box and click the white “Register for emergency alerts” link to get to the Alert San Diego website. Click the green “Register for Emergency Alerts” option in the menu at the top of the page. Enter your information to enroll.
San Francisco County: In the “Sign up for AlertSF” section, click the blue “alertsf.org” link which will redirect you to an Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option in the menu in the top right-hand corner. Follow instructions to enroll.
San Joaquin County: Click the orange “SIGN UP FOR SJREADY” button in the “SJReady – Community Notification System” section to get to theEverbridge registration portal. Click the blue “SIGN UP HERE” link to create an account. Follow instructions to enroll.
San Luis Obispo County: Scroll down to the “Register” button outlined in blue. Click this to proceed to a Smart911 registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll. The county switched to this alert system in October 2023 and recommends you re-register with the new system if you were enrolled with the previous one.
San Mateo County: Scroll down to the blue “Register Now” button near the bottom. Click the button to proceed to the Smart911 registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll. You can opt in to receive precautionary warnings in addition to emergency alerts.
Santa Barbara County: Click the “Sign Up for ReadySBC Alerts” link in the orange box to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll.
Santa Clara County: Scroll down to the “Sign Up Today!” section and click on the blue “Sign Up” button to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to enroll.
Santa Cruz County: Click the blue “Cruz Aware Registration” link to get to the Genasys login page. Save the emergency alerts phone numbers to your Contacts. Select the “Click here to register” link under the “LOG IN” button to create a new account. Follow instructions to register. After registering, click the bell icon in the menu to customize which types of notifications you’d like to receive. Santa Cruz County is no longer using the CodeRED system; you should register with the new system if you had enrolled previously.
Shasta County: In the “Resources” section, follow the blue “Alert Shasta” link to get to the Genasys registration portal. Save the emergency alerts phone numbers to your Contacts. Under the “LOG IN” button, select the “Click here to register” link to create a new account. Follow instructions to register. Shasta County switched to a new emergency alert system on May 1, 2024 and asks that you register with the new system even if you were registered with the previous CodeRED system.
Sierra County: Under the “Stay Informed” section, follow the blue “Everbridge Emergency Alert System” link, then click the “Proceed to Site” button to access the Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option in the top right corner to create a new account. Follow instructions to register.
Siskiyou County: Click the “ReadySiskiyou-Alerts (Smart911)” link to get to the Smart911 registration portal. Click the green “SIGN UP NOW” button. Follow instructions to register.
Solano County: Follow the blue “CLICK HERE TO REGISTER” link in the white box to get to the Everbridge registration page. Follow instructions to enroll.
Sonoma County: Click the blue “Sign up for SoCoAlert Today!” link near the bottom of the page to get to the CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications” and severe weather alerts.
Stanislaus County: Scroll down to the blue “Everbridge Member Portal” link. Click this link and wait until it redirects you to the Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to register.
Sutter County: Scroll down to the blue “CODE RED” button at the bottom of the page. Click on this button to proceed to the CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications.”
Tehama County: In the yellow “Tehama Alert” box near the bottom of the page, click on the green “Sign up for Tehama Alert” button to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Follow instructions to register.
Trinity County: Click the blue CodeRED link next to “CodeRED Signup” and select“OK” to proceed to the CodeRED registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications” and severe weather alerts.
Tulare County: Click the “Register with AlertTC” image or click the blue “www.AlertTC.com” link to get to the AlertTC website. Next, click the blue “Register Now or Login Here” link to proceed to the Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu in the upper right-hand corner to create a new account. Follow instructions to enroll.
Tuolumne County: Scroll down until you see the words “CLICK HERE TO REGISTER” in large, green font. Follow the “HERE” link to proceed to the Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu in the upper right-hand corner. Follow instructions to enroll.
Ventura County: Click the red “REGISTER HERE” button on the right-hand side of the page to get to an Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Follow instructions to register.
Yolo County: In the “Sign up for Alerts” section, click the blue “Alert Yolo” link to get to the Everbridge registration portal. Select the “Sign Up” option from the menu in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Follow instructions to register.
Yuba County: In the yellow “STAY CONNECTED!” box, click the “Click here to register for CodeRED” button to get to the registration portal. Creating a managed account allows you to change notification settings in the future and add additional addresses. You can also create a guest account. In addition to emergency notifications, you can choose to receive “General Notifications.”