California wildfires maps show evacuations, power outages, air quality
Wildfires are tearing through thousands of acres in Los Angeles County in California, as strong Santa Ana wind gusts stoke the blazes.
The Palisades Fire has impacted more than 17,000 acres, the Eaton Fire has impacted 10,600 acres, and the Hurst Fire has spread over more than 800 acres. There is 0% containment on the Eaton and Palisades fires. The Hurst blaze is now 10% contained.
The Woodley Fire, at 30 acres, was “under control” Wednesday evening, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. It is 100% contained.
The Woodley Fire, at 30 acres, was “under control” Wednesday evening, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. It is 100% contained.
At the same time, the Lidia Fires quickly rose from 80 acres to more than 300 late Wednesday. It showed 40% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
However, a new fire erupted just before 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday: The Sunset Fire quickly tore through 10 acres in the Hollywood Hills. By midnight, it had escalated to 50 acres. It is now 100% contained.
Evacuation alerts
Evacuation orders from CalFire have been issued in the areas surrounding the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires.
Orders to evacuate in the Pacific Palisades, Topanga and eastern Malibu region reach to the Carbon Beach Terrace on the west side of the blaze. To the east and southeast, evacuation orders cover the Riviera, Rustic Canyon and Wilshire Montana regions, stretching to San Vincente Boulevard.
Orders to evacuate from the Eaton Fire stretched through Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, and large swaths of Pasadena and Glendale.
Orders to evacuate the Hollywood Hills surrounding the Sunset Fire came later in the evening and affected some iconic Hollywood locations, including the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held, and the Hollywood Bowl.
Orders to evacuate from the Hurst Fire spanned the suburban neighborhoods of Sylmar in Los Angeles, Whitney Canyon Park and Elsmere Canyon.
Power outages
Nearly 1.2 million customers were without power in California around midday Wednesday, according to Poweroutage.us. By Thursday morning, that number was reported as closer to 390,000.
Of that number, Los Angeles County represents 177,212 of the customers facing outages.
Smoke and air quality
Across Southern California, residents are facing air quality conditions deemed hazardous by the U.S. Air Quality Index from the Environmental Protection Agency.
From Los Angeles to Pasadena, near the Eaton blaze, air sensors are picking up “hazardous” to “very unhealthy” conditions. Hazardous air conditions have also been recorded in Santa Monica. Other surrounding areas — including near Long Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, and other parts of the Los Angeles region have also been deemed “unhealthy.”
The EPA urges residents to wear N95 respirators to protect their lungs from smoke, limit time spent outdoors in the open air, and use an air purifier to reduce smoke particles indoors.
At last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Honda showed off two futuristic concept cars, the wedge-tastic 0 Saloon and the Space Hub van with a lounge-like interior. While the radical Saloon morphs into a prototype and moves closer to production at CES 2025, the Space Hub has been kicked off stage to make room for the Honda 0 SUV prototype, a much more conventional EV aimed at the crossover-crazy masses. The 0 SUV will evolve into a production model and lead the charge for Honda’s next-generation 0 Series EVs when manufacturing at the company’s new EV Hub in Ohio starts in the first half of 2026.
Designed and engineered in-house, the 0 SUV and 0 Saloon represent a reset for Honda, which has lagged behind the industry in delivering long-range EVs. The new models play catchup on the software front as well, incorporating a new Honda-developed operating system running on a centralized electrical/electronic architecture that unlocks new features.
While exact dimensions haven’t been divulged, Honda describes the 0 prototype as a midsize SUV. In person it appears a little larger than a (compact) CR-V and slightly smaller than a (midsize) Passport, which means it could compete with the GM-built Honda Prologue EV if the two vehicles end up sharing the showroom floor. The 0 distinguishes itself, though, with strong upright proportions that give it a more traditional SUV appearance compared to the wagon-like shape that’s common among electric crossovers.
Inside the 0 prototype offers seating for five and a spacious cargo area that includes two enclosed cubbies behind the thick D-pillars. The cockpit feels modern and upscale thanks in large part to pillar-to-pillar screens running across the dashboard. Three large displays serving as the instrument cluster, infotainment, and passenger screen are flanked by two small monitors for the camera mirrors. Don’t be surprised, though, if the production model sprouts conventional mirrors to meet U.S. regulations.
The driver pilots the 0 SUV with a yoke-style steering wheel and a steer-by-wire system similar to what’s used by the Tesla Cybertruck. With no physical connection to the front tires, the yoke in the prototype automatically rotates 180 degrees when the vehicle is off, providing more clearance for entering and exiting the vehicle.
Honda says the 0 Series will be capable of Level 3 eyes-off-the-road automated driving, which means a driver could watch a movie or join a video conference but would need to remain awake and alert to take control if the vehicle encounters a situation it can’t handle. That said, during a prototype drive last October, we were told that Level 3 capability won’t be available in the U.S. at launch and executives couldn’t shed any additional light on timing at CES 2025.
Whenever eyes-off driver assistance does arrive, expect a cautious rollout. Honda says the system will initially work as a highway traffic-jam assistant at low speeds on certain limited-access roads and that additional capability will be unlocked in time via over-the-air updates.
