Officials said at least 24 people have died in the Southern California wildfires, while Santa Ana winds are expected to make the battle more difficult. Plus, some facing the prospect of losing their homes are taking extraordinary measures to save their property. And with more than 12,000 structures destroyed by the California wildfires, many now face the challenge of finding a place to live.
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00:00Fire crews working nonstop, waging an all-out battle from the air and the ground, as they
00:08brace for the worst of those punishing Santa Ana winds.
00:11The National Weather Service warning conditions to be as bad as it gets, with the potential
00:16for hurricane-force winds over the next 48 hours.
00:2013 million are under red flag warnings stretching north of Santa Barbara to San Diego County.
00:27With more than 8,000 firefighters now on the front lines, officials insist they're
00:31better prepared with more ground and air resources this time around.
00:36Just behind us here, you can see a massive burn scar.
00:39There's no more smoke, no more fire, but there's still a danger, and that's why there are lines
00:42of firefighters right now with cutting tools like chainsaws and axes, clearing all the
00:47brush, making sure there's no fuel in case those winds pick up and carry embers.
00:53We were with CAL FIRE as they worked to clear brush before those dangerous winds hit burn
00:58zones.
00:59So you're worried about this area because there's still brush here and it's so close
01:02to those homes right there?
01:03That's correct.
01:04Firefighters lined up on cliffs, scaling canyons, and on the lookout.
01:08They're putting their lives on the line to get out in front of something that most people
01:12wouldn't get in front of.
01:15Over the weekend, California's National Guard dropping flame retardant on hot spots in the
01:19Palisades fire.
01:21Their flare-ups forced new evacuations in Encino and Brentwood, triggering this eerie
01:26firenado.
01:29The Eaton and Palisades fire still mostly uncontained, with speculation on the origins
01:34of the infernos running rampant.
01:36The ATF now leading a newly formed task force to investigate the cause of the Palisades
01:41fire, as multiple law enforcement sources tell NBC News that a possible human cause
01:47is an early focus in this case.
01:49We're identifying cause and origin for each of these separate fires.
01:53There's so many of them.
01:55None have been ruled out of arson.
01:57The death toll has now reached 24 and expected to rise, including 95-year-old Delyse Mama
02:04D. Curry of Altadena.
02:06That was her refrigerator.
02:08This is where she would be.
02:10Her granddaughter looking for her remains and what's left of her home.
02:15Mama D., are you here?
02:18Officials today urging residents to stay out of evacuation zones.
02:22People are saying, I just want to go look at my house and I want to see what's left.
02:26We know that, but we have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors.
02:32Law enforcement in the region announcing more than 70 arrests, including looting and burglary
02:37charges.
02:38The FBI says unauthorized drones over the fire zones are now well into the double digits,
02:43as they search for the drone pilot that crashed into a Canadian super scooper last week, grounding
02:49the aircraft for days.
02:50Today, the Los Angeles Unified School District reopened most of its 1,000 campuses, giving
02:56students some return to normalcy.
02:58I've been pretty scared coming here, but as long as the doors are open, I feel safe.
03:06Schools damaged by the fires or inside the evacuation zones remain closed, with tens
03:11of thousands pushed from their homes now forced to start over.
03:15One estimate says the insured losses are already at least $30 billion.
03:20Right now, I'm trying to just keep it together to find us a place to live for us, temporary
03:26living for our family and my parents.
03:28Andrea Heindel lost her family home, as did her parents.
03:31How tough is it?
03:33It is tough.
03:34There's millions of people looking at millions of different places, and so we just have to
03:38figure out one step at a time how we're going to handle it.
03:43And with the winds bringing the possibility of new fires and destruction just like this,
03:48some homeowners plan to take matters into their own hands.
03:51Once again, Gotti Schwartz tonight with their stories.
03:57For days, so many across Los Angeles faced off against apocalyptic wildfires.
04:03Some homeowners defying the evacuation orders, choosing to protect their properties amid
04:08that hellscape.
04:09We need a water drop.
04:10We need a water drop.
04:11Sprinklers, hoses, generators, pumps.
04:14And tonight, facing new red flag warnings, some Angelenos say they are preparing for
04:18round two.
04:20In wealthy enclaves, rows of water trucks and private firefighters standing at the ready.
04:25Right here we see one, two, three, four, five.
04:30Five different water trucks.
04:31There's another three down the way.
04:33Those in the evacuation zones who lived to tell the tale of how they saved their streets
04:37say they did what they could with high pressured hoses.
04:40So we're in all of our neighbors' backyards and lugging our hoses around.
04:45In Altadena, Felipe Carrillo saving two houses on his street with a garden hose.
04:50I caught on fire a couple of times.
04:52You caught on fire?
04:53Yes.
04:54And so what I started doing is every once in a while I would just spray myself with
04:56a garden hose.
04:58Just soak myself with a garden hose and continue to fight.
05:02Fire officials say those who stay to fight the fire are putting their lives at risk.
05:06Sixty-six-year-old Victor Shaw died in the Eaton fire.
05:09His remains found holding a garden hose.
05:12Right along the coast, owners of this row of homes had their own fire hoses ready and
05:16some willing to risk their lives.
05:19There's another hot spot that just started up.
05:21So we're hooking up our fire hoses again to put it down before the wind starts again.
05:28When the fire rolled in, Clayton Colbert and his friends stood their ground, tapping into
05:32the hydrant and saving six homes.
05:34Do you have any firefighting experience?
05:37I do now.
05:38Yeah.
05:39What do you think would have happened if you and your neighbors weren't here?
05:42Oh, my house would have gone in a matter of minutes.
05:45Tonight, Steve Foster's home is still standing, but most of the surrounding community is gone.
05:50It's been difficult, but we're getting through it.
05:53Would you leave?
05:54I'm not leaving.
05:55I've been here the whole time.
05:57I have no intentions of leaving until my neighbors are back.
06:01And, Tom, technically, it's a misdemeanor not to evacuate during the chaos, but it's
06:09not always enforced.
06:10However, firefighters say bottom line, every moment during a firefight is precious.
06:13And if they have to be pulled off of a fire line to come save someone that is not supposed
06:18to be there, it not only jeopardizes their lives, but puts the whole community at risk.
06:23Tom.
06:25Gotti Schwartz tonight for us in Malibu.
06:26Gotti, we thank you for that.
06:28And for those who have lost everything, another crisis has quickly emerged.
06:32Where will they find a new place to live?
06:34Here's Morgan Chesky.
06:35We're going to find a house.
06:36I promise.
06:37I promise.
06:38We'll find a house.
06:39A promise for a new home.
06:41Ashley and Timpal Mateer are now fighting to keep amid a disaster that's ignited a
06:46citywide housing crisis.
06:48Wait a minute.
06:49Watch out!
06:50Coming.
06:51In 2005, six, including their pup Apollo, one of dozens, packing an open house.
06:56After watching flames approach, then engulf their beloved Palisades home.
07:02Wednesday afternoon, we saw footage that our entire neighborhood had burned down.
07:06With more than 12,000 structures destroyed and potentially more to come, the demand for
07:10LA's rental market exploding overnight.
07:13You call and you're like, hey, can I come see it?
07:14And they're like, nope, it's rented.
07:15You call another one.
07:16Hey, can I come see it today?
07:17Nope, it's rented already.
07:19Ashley says she's looked into 50 properties over the last several days.
07:23In some cases, people driving hours just to find a home.
07:27Yes.
07:28Yes.
07:29LA realtor Tanya Stosky says fewer options are already leading to price gouging.
07:34We have greedy landlords who are increasing, spiking up the prices, and we also have a
07:39bidding war as well.
07:41A check on Zillow for one property near the Palisades three days after the fires began
07:46shows rent jumping $10,000.
07:49It's since been removed, but officials warn price surges are growing.
07:53The governor declared a state of emergency last week, which means any price hike over
07:5710 percent on essential goods, including rental housing, is illegal under California law.
08:04Price gouging is sick.
08:06It's wrong.
08:07It's illegal.
08:08These scams taking advantage of victims and re-victimizing them.
08:11They say if you see or are a victim of price gouging, report it immediately to local law
08:16enforcement or state authorities.
08:18Then we'll find another one, and we'll just keep looking.
08:22For the Palmatiers, it's not just about getting a place to live.
08:26They've also got to get their kids back in the classroom after their schools burn to
08:30the ground.
08:31How are y'all staying sane amidst all this?
08:37Just taking it one step at a time.
08:39Our friends have been amazing.
08:40Our community across the country has been amazing.
08:45And Morgan joins us live tonight from a Palisades elementary school that once stood there.
08:49Morgan, what's the plan for those students now?
08:52Yeah, Tom, tonight parents are giving all the credit to school officials who just days
08:57after losing this entire school have already made plans for the student body to be absorbed
09:01into another L.A. school where classes are hoping to resume this Wednesday.
09:06Tom.
09:07All right, Morgan.
09:09We thank you for that.
09:10The next round of high winds is nearly upon us.
09:12Al Roker tonight tracking it all.
09:14And Al, millions are under red flag warnings again tonight.
09:16Tell us what it all means.
09:17All right.
09:18Well, Tom, we're talking about 13 million people from San Luis Obispo down to Campo.
09:22Gusting winds of up to 70 miles per hour.
09:24Humidity levels are dropping.
09:25A particularly dangerous situation, Pyramid Lake, San Fernando, Camarillo.
09:29And this is unfortunately due to climate change.
09:31In the last 36 years, the conditions are 9 degrees warmer, 15 percent drier, 20 percent
09:37windier.
09:39Now, the winds are fairly calm, but they are starting to pick up within the next few hours.
09:43They will be at hurricane force, and that is going to limit the ability to bring some
09:48sort of air support in there.
09:50And as you can see, for tomorrow, there is a critical risk from Santa Clarita, Los Angeles,
09:54all the way down to Escondido.
09:55So we're going to continue to track this.
09:58Have the latest tomorrow morning, Tom.
10:01Thanks for watching.
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