Fire chief shot and killed after stopping to help driver who hit deer with their car

(LOS ANGELES) — At least 24 people have died and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across the Los Angeles area.

Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. About 92,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings.

Status of Palisades, Eaton fires

The Palisades Fire, which began in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, has destroyed about 5,000 structures. It’s covered more than 23,000 acres and is at 17% containment.

The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena also began on Jan. 7 and has destroyed or damaged around 7,000 structures. It’s burned over 14,000 acres and is at 35% containment.

Wind gusts reach 72 mph overnight

Dangerously high winds that could fuel wildfires are impacting the Los Angeles area Tuesday and Wednesday.

The highest wind gust recorded so far was 72 mph in the western San Gabriel Mountains, which is in northern LA County.

A 50 mph wind gust was recorded in Malibu Hills.

The gusty winds will spread from the mountains into the valleys and the canyons by Tuesday afternoon.

A slight break in the wind is expected Tuesday evening before the rough winds pick back up Wednesday morning.

The winds will stay strong into Wednesday afternoon and then finally begin to relax Wednesday night into Thursday.

‘Dangerous’ winds to pick up across Los Angeles, Ventura counties

A “particularly dangerous situation” with a red flag warning will go into effect in western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County on Tuesday, weather officials said, with winds threatening to further fuel historic Southern California wildfires.

The warning begins at 4 a.m. local time. Winds are forecast to gust between 45 mph to 70 mph, with relative humidity as low as 8%.

Winds overnight and early on Tuesday have been gusting up to 67 mph in the mountains near Los Angeles. The West San Gabriel Mountains have seen gusts up to 67 mph, with the Central Ventura County Valley hit about 66 mph.

The strongest gusts are expected Tuesday morning and early afternoon, which will then be followed by a break in the evening. More gusty winds are expected Wednesday morning.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

Firefighters stop forward progress of Auto Fire

Firefighters stopped forward progress of the Auto Fire in Ventura County late Monday night, the Ventura County Fire Department said, with the blaze mapped at 55.7 acres with 0% containment.

Firefighting teams “remain on scene mopping up hotspots and working to increase containment,” the department said. “The fire was confined to the river bottom and no structures were threatened. The cause of the fire Is under investigation.”

-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck

LA mayor issues executive order to expedite rebuilding

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order late Monday that her office said “will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities” devastated by local wildfires.

“This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion,” Bass said in a statement. “We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home.”

The order was issued as dangerous wind conditions threatened additional homes across the Southern California area.

“This unprecedented natural disaster warrants an unprecedented response,” Bass said.

A mayor’s office press release said the executive order will coordinate debris removal from all impacted areas, expedite all building permit activity and take immediate action to make 1,400 units of housing available.

The order also set a one-week deadline for all city departments to list relief needed from state and federal authorities.

-ABC News’ Tristan Maglunog

More firefighting resources being deployed ahead of extreme fire weather

Additional firefighting resources will be allocated in advance of the extreme fire weather forecast this week in Southern California, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office announced Monday.

That includes more than 300 additional firefighting personnel and 135 engines — making for more than 15,000 personnel total and 1,900 fire engines, water tenders, aircraft and bulldozers combined in the ongoing fire response, the office said.

How the Palisades Village managed to survive the firestorm

The Palisades Village is largely unscathed amid the devastating Palisades Fire, even as buildings across the street burned to the ground.

That’s because the owners of the outdoor mall hired private tankers to fend off the flames as the fire encroached, ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman reports.

Tankers could be seen on Monday preparing for the next Santa Ana wind event forecast for this week.

Newsom proposes additional $2.5B in firestorm response

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed that the state provide an additional $2.5 billion in funding for its firestorm response and recovery efforts.

Newsom signed a proclamation on Monday that expands the scope of the state legislature’s current special session “to further boost response and initial recovery efforts for Los Angeles,” his office said in a press release.

The governor is requesting $1 billion to go toward the emergency response, cleanup and recovery in the Los Angeles wildfires, as well as $1.5 billion in funding to prepare for the threats of firestorms and other natural disasters, according to the proclamation.

Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas said in a statement that the assembly members “are listening to their residents and will bring feedback to the discussion as we consider the Governor’s proposal.”

9 people charged with looting in Palisades, Eaton fires: DA

Nine people have been charged with looting in connection with the Palisades and Eaton fires, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced Monday.

“There have been certain people that we have given a warning to because we anticipated that this was half was going to happen, and these are the criminals,” Hochman said during a press briefing. “These are the people who are seeking to exploit this tragedy for their own benefit.”

Among those charged are three people accused of stealing more than $200,000 in property in a burglary last week at a house in Mandeville Canyon during an “evacuation situation,” Hochman said.

A man has also been charged with arson in a fire that occurred in the city of Azusa on Friday, Hochman said.

Homeowners, renters sue utility company over Eaton Fire

Four separate lawsuits were filed Monday against Southern California Edison, a utility company in California, by homeowners and renters who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. The lawsuits each allege the company failed to de-energize all of its electrical equipment despite red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service.

-ABC News’ Laura Romero

Biden: ‘Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost’

President Joe Biden said in a new statement, “Our hearts ache for the 24 innocent souls we have lost in the wildfires.”

Biden said he continues to be “frequently briefed” on updates. He said he’s “directed our team to respond promptly to any request for additional federal firefighting assistance,” adding that his team is “laser-focused on helping survivors and we will continue to use every tool available to support the urgent firefight as the winds are projected to increase.”

“To the brave firefighters and first responders working day and night to suppress these fires and save lives: our nation is grateful,” Biden said. “You represent the best of America and we are in your debt.”

-ABC News’ Molly Nagle

Areas for worst wind conditions this week

The National Weather Service has highlighted these three areas where officials believe there’s the highest chance for explosive fire growth this week. The Hurst Fire is in the highlighted area and the Palisades Fire is near the highlighted area.

The extreme fire risk will last from 4 a.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday.

Winds could climb as high as 45 to 70 mph and humidity could be as low as 8 to 15%.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

Crews finding remains in Altadena: Sheriff

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said he knows displaced residents want to return to their neighborhoods, but he warned, “we are in the third day of grid searching” in Altadena.

“It is a very grim task,” he said, noting that every day crews are finding people’s remains.

Twenty-three people have been reported missing: 17 from the Eaton Fire and six in the Malibu area, the sheriff said. 

Severe fire conditions to continue through Wednesday

Severe fire weather conditions — high winds with low humidity — will continue through Wednesday, keeping the fire threat in all of Los Angeles County critical, LA Fire Chief Anthony Marrone warned at a news conference.

Amid the “unprecedented disaster,” Marrone shared positive news that the Eaton Fire in Altadena didn’t grow at all on Sunday.

The Eaton Fire has damaged or destroyed over 7,000 structures, Marrone said. He said damage inspections for dwellings are 26% completed.

The super scooper firefighting plane damaged by a drone last week has been repaired, Marrone said. Crews are waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration to give the OK to send the plane back in the air.

Ukraine offers aid

Ukraine may send rescuers to help fight the devastating fires in California, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives,” Zelenskyy tweeted. “This is currently being coordinated, and we have offered our assistance to the American side through the relevant channels. 150 of our firefighters are already prepared.”

Firefighters from Mexico and Canada have also been deployed to California.

Edison International can’t rule out equipment role in wildfires, CEO says

Pedro Pizarro, the president and CEO of Edison International, told “Good Morning America” on Monday that the company cannot yet rule the possibility that its energy infrastructure played a role in sparking wildfires now raging around Los Angeles.

Fire agencies are investigating whether Southern California Edison — a subsidiary of Edison International — infrastructure sites caused fires in areas devastated by the Eaton and Hurst wildfires.

“You can’t rule out anything ever until you can get your eyes on the equipment,” Pizarro said.

“Typically, when there’s a spark created by equipment, we will see the electrical anomaly — we haven’t seen that,” Pizarro said of a possible incident involving Edison infrastructure and the Hurst Fire burning outside of San Fernando.

“That said, we have not been able to get close to the equipment,” he continued. “As soon as we can get close to it, we’ll inspect and be transparent with the public.”

“We may find something different,” Pizarro added.

Pizarro said Edison also recorded damage to equipment at the site of the Eaton Fire in the mountains north of Pasadena. “We don’t know whether the damage happened before or after the start of the fire,” he said.

Pizarro said that Edison International will be shutting off power to some California residents as a precaution amid red flag warnings.

“We have about 450,000 customers who we’ve warned they may need to have their power shut off,” Pizarro said.

High winds threaten explosive fire growth

Weather officials have issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warning for western Los Angeles County and most of Ventura County beginning on Tuesday at 4 a.m. into Wednesday at noon.

Winds are forecast to be strong enough to potentially cause explosive fire growth.

A new Santa Ana wind event is forecast Monday through Wednesday with the strongest winds Tuesday into Wednesday.

On Monday morning and the rest of the day, winds will begin to pick up in the mountains and higher elevations, gusting 20 to 30 mph, locally as high as 50 mph.

By Tuesday morning at 4 a.m., when the “PDS” conditions begin, gusts in the mountains are expected to near 70 mph possibly and humidity could be as low as 8% for some of the area.

-ABC News’ Max Golembo

68 arrested, many for burglary, in fire evacuation zones, police say

At least 68 people have been arrested in fire evacuation zones, according to law enforcement officials, as police work to secure devastated parts of Los Angeles and firefighters continue to battle wildfires.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it recorded 29 arrests — 25 in the Eaton Fire area north of Pasadena and four in the Palisades Fire area in western Los Angeles.

The Santa Monica Police Department reported 39 arrests in evacuated areas in its jurisdiction on Saturday night, including 10 for burglary and six for possession of burglary tools. None of those arrested lived in the area, the department said.

-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck

Forecast calls for ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ for fires, Newsom warns

Gov. Gavin Newsom warned late Sunday that the week was beginning with a forecast for a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” for new wildfires, even as the firefight against the several fires still burning continued.

“Emergency responders are ready tonight. Pre-positioned firefighters and engines are spread around Southern California,” he said on social media. “Stay safe. Be ready to evacuate if you get the order.”

The warning, which comes from the National Weather Service, says that the fire risk is high in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties amid strong winds, a lack of recent rainfall and relatively low humidities. The warning begins Monday night and runs through Wednesday morning, the service said.

It’s is the fourth of its kind in three months, Newsom said. The first came ahead of the Mountain Fire in Ventura, which destroyed 243 structures. The second preceded the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which destroyed 20 structures.

And the third preceded the Palisades and Eaton Fires, which have now destroyed thousands of homes and structures, he said.

Death toll in Los Angeles fires rises to 24

There have been at least 24 fire-related deaths in the Palisades and Eaton Fires, according to the latest tally from the County of Los Angeles Department of Medical Examiner.

The number of fatalities is expected to rise as officials continue to battle the dual fires.

According to the medical examiner, there have been 16 confirmed deaths linked to the Eaton Fire and eight fatalities due to the Palisades Fire.

Los Angeles Unified School District reopening some schools Monday

Los Angeles Unified School District announced some schools are reopening Monday, depending on the location of the institution and the weather conditions.

LAUSD said school principals will contact communities directly.

ABC News confirmed that some community members received calls on Sunday about schools reopening.

The district has over 1,500 schools serving roughly 600,000 students in grades K–12. Schools across the district have been closed due to fires since Thursday.

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(WASHINGTON) — The bipartisan House Ethics Committee on Monday released a scathing report concluding its yearslong investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, finding “substantial evidence” that he had sex with a 17-year-old in 2017 in violation of Florida’s statutory rape law, and engaged in a broader pattern of paying women for sex.

The report also detailed evidence of illegal drug use, acceptance of improper gifts, granting special favors to personal associates, and obstruction, after Gaetz refused to comply with subpoenas and withheld evidence from the committee.

A woman testified to the committee that Gaetz had sex with her in 2017, when she was 17 and had just completed her junior year of high school, and Gaetz was in his first year in Congress. Identified only as “Victim A” in the report, the woman told investigators she received $400 in cash from the then-congressman that evening, “which she understood to be payment for sex,” according to the report.

“The Committee received credible testimony from Victim A herself, as well as multiple individuals corroborating the allegation,” the report says. “Victim A said that she did not inform Representative Gaetz that she was under 18 at the time, nor did he ask her age.”

While many of the allegations in the committee’s report have been previously reported, this is the first time the woman’s direct testimony about Gaetz having sex with her when she was a minor has been made public, along with corroborating testimony from others.

Investigators noted that while the former Florida congressman has “suggested that the allegations against him have been manufactured” and had called into question Victim A’s credibility, “the Committee found no reason to doubt the credibility of Victim A.”

The report details that between 2017-2020, records obtained by the committee show Gaetz paid nearly $100,000 dollars to 12 different women and to Joel Greenberg, his one-time close friend who in 2021 pleaded guilty to numerous crimes, including sex trafficking Victim A.

While all the women who testified to the committee described their sexual encounters with Gaetz as consensual, according to the report, one woman raised concerns that drug use at the parties and events may have “impair[ed their] ability to really know what was going on or fully consent.” Another woman told the committee, “When I look back on certain moments, I feel violated.”

The report alleges that Gaetz “took advantage of the economic vulnerability of young women to lure them into sexual activity for which they received an average of a few hundred dollars after each encounter.”

“Such behavior is not ‘generosity to ex-girlfriends,’ and it does not reflect creditably upon the House,” the report reads, referencing the former congressman’s previous statement dismissing the allegations as someone “trying to recategorize my generosity to ex-girlfriends as something more untoward.”

“Based on the above, the Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” the report says.

Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. The Justice Department declined to charge him last year after a yearslong investigation into similar allegations.

President-elect Donald Trump last month tapped Gaetz to serve as attorney general in the incoming administration, and Gaetz resigned his congressional seat shortly after. Gaetz subsequently withdrew his name from consideration for AG, saying his confirmation process was “unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”

The Ethics Committee was in the final stages of its probe into Gaetz when Trump tapped him for attorney general. The committee generally drops investigations of members if they leave office, but Gaetz’s resignation prompted a fiery debate on Capitol Hill over whether the panel should release its report to allow the Senate to perform its role of vetting presidential nominations.

Following indications last week that the committee would release its report, Gaetz took to X in a lengthy post, writing in part that when he was single he “often sent funds to women” he dated and that he “never had sexual contact with someone under 18.”

“It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now,” he posted. “I’ve never been charged. I’ve never been sued. Instead, House Ethics will reportedly post a report online that I have no opportunity to debate or rebut as a former member of the body.”

In its report, the committee concluded that it did not find substantial evidence that Gaetz violated federal sex trafficking laws, finding that while Gaetz “did cause the transportation of women across state lines for purposes of commercial sex,” investigators did not find evidence “that any of those women were under 18 at the time of travel, nor did the Committee find sufficient evidence to conclude that the commercial sex acts were induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”

According to the report, the committee conducted over two dozen interviews, issued 29 subpoenas, reviewed nearly 14,000 documents, and requested information from multiple government agencies as part of its extensive investigation into the allegations.

The committee received written testimony from Greenberg but, due to credibility concerns, investigators said they would “not rely exclusively on information provided by Mr. Greenberg,” according to the report.

The committee also accused Gaetz of obstructing its investigation by ignoring subpoenas, withholding documents, and declining to answer questions about the allegations.

“Representative Gaetz continuously sought to deflect, deter, or mislead the Committee in order to prevent his actions from being exposed,” the report reads. “His actions undermine not only his claims that he had exculpatory information to provide, but also his claims that he intended to cooperate with the Committee in good faith. It is apparent that Representative Gaetz’s assertions were nothing more than attempts to delay the Committee’s investigation.”

The committee had been investigating allegations that Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe, improper gratuity, or impermissible gift, according to sources.

Earlier this year, the committee released a statement that it would continue its probe but would no longer pursue allegations that Gaetz “may have shared inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, misused state identification records, converted campaign funds to personal use, and/or accepted a bribe or improper gratuity.”

According to the report, while several committee members did not support its release, a majority of its members voted in favor of its release on Dec. 10. In a statement at the conclusion of the report, House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest reiterated his stance against the release of the report on behalf of the dissenting members while acknowledging that he and other members do not dispute the report’s findings.

“We believe and remain steadfast in the position that the House Committee on Ethics lost jurisdiction to release to the public any substantive work product regarding Mr. Gaetz after his resignation from the House on November 14, 2024,” Guest wrote.

Earlier Monday Gaetz filed a lawsuit against the Ethics Committee in an effort to stop the committee from releasing its report.

“This action challenges the Committee’s unconstitutional and ultra vires attempt to exercise jurisdiction over a private citizen through the threatened release of an investigative report containing potentially defamatory allegations,” the filing from Gaetz said.

Gaetz in the filing asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to block the release of the report or any findings, which he says would cause “damage to his reputation and professional standing” that would be “immediate and severe.”

“The threatened release of information believed to be defamatory by a Congressional committee concerning matters of sexual propriety and other acts of alleged moral turpitude constitutes irreparable harm that cannot be adequately remedied through monetary damages,” the filing stated.

“After Plaintiff’s resignation from Congress, Defendants improperly continued to act on its investigation, and apparently voted to publicly release reports and/or investigative materials related to Plaintiff without proper notice or disclosure to Plaintiff,” the complaint said.

Following the report’s release Monday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta gave Gaetz until 5 p.m. ET to show why the suit shouldn’t be dismissed with prejudice for lack of jurisdiction, given “this case appears to be moot in light of the House Ethics Committee’s public disclosure of the report.”

In a subsequent filing, attorneys for Gaetz acknowledged that their lawsuit is now “mooted” following the release of the report — a move they said has caused Gaetz “irreversible and irreparable harm.”

The filing said the committee’s decision to release the report was “unprecedented and procedurally defective,” and reiterated their claim that it was released without notifying him.

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(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, may waive extradition to New York City as early as Tuesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said on Friday.

“Indications are that the defendant may waive, but that waiver is not complete until a court proceeding,” Bragg said.

The earliest a court proceeding could be scheduled in Pennsylvania is Tuesday, Bragg said.

“So until that time, we are going to continue to press forward on parallel paths,” he said. “We will be ready, whether he is going to waive extradition or whether he is going to contest extradition.”

Prosecutors at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work to secure an indictment against Mangione, sources told ABC News.

The DA’s office declined to comment due to the secrecy surrounding grand jury matters.

Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, remains in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after a judge denied bail on Tuesday.

“He has constitutional rights and that’s what he’s doing” in challenging the interstate transfer, defense attorney Thomas Dickey told reporters on Tuesday.

Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday after nearly one week on the run following the Dec. 4 slaying for the UnitedHealthcare CEO.

UnitedHealthcare told ABC News that Mangione was not a member of the insurer.

Authorities are still looking to access a phone recovered by police in an alley following the shooting that is believed to be linked to the suspect, sources said Thursday. Police have obtained a search warrant for the phone, sources said.

At least two other search warrants have been issued so far in the New York case. They include to search the hostel where the suspect stayed in New York City, as well as the backpack containing Monopoly money and a jacket that was found in Central Park and is believed to belong to him, sources said.

Three shell casings recovered outside the Midtown Manhattan hotel where Thompson was fatally shot match the gun allegedly found on Mangione when he was arrested, police announced Wednesday.

Fingerprints recovered from a water bottle and a Kind bar near the crime scene have also been matched to Mangione, police said.

In Pennsylvania, Mangione faces charges including allegedly possessing an untraceable ghost gun.

In New York, he faces charges including second-degree murder.

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