L.A. Wildfires: Newsom Sends More National Guard Personnel To LA To Halt Looters, Fires – Update

UPDATE, 2:25 PM: There are about to be a lot more boots on the ground in LA to stop crime amidst the fires that have reduced large swaths of the county to ash, Gavin Newsom made clear today.

Two days after around 400 National Guard troops were first deployed to counter looters and the wildfires blazing across the county, the Governor announced that CalGuard’s presence in the region will be boosted up to 1,680 service members.

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“We are continuing to rush in resources to rapidly respond to the firestorm in Los Angeles fueled by hurricane-force winds,” Saturday said Newsom, who has been among the officials receiving a backlash for the way much of the defense to the widely destructive fires has occurred.  “The men and women of the California National Guard are working day and night to help Los Angeles residents during their greatest time of need. We are grateful for their continued bravery and commitment to be of service to others.”

As fires old and new rage from the Santa Ana winds and possible arsonists, today’s additional activation makes it very straightforward what one of the top priorites besides fire suppression is for the millions of residents of the county and the tens of thousands of seething acres hit by the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire and others the past five days. Of the over 1,600 CalGuard personnel now on the streets of LA County, 1,000 of them are part of the Military Police Forces, the cops of the Guard.

With dozens arrested and citizens reporting suspicious individuals stalking out residences, looting and crime has become a top concern for overwhelmed law enforcement. As in past situations like the unrest following the Rodney King verdict in 1992, the heavily armed Guard is in place as the ultimate deterrent.

To that, Newsom took to social media Saturday to push back on claims by Elon Musk and others about the fires and the capacity of containing them:

As for 2025, along with those lowlifes trying to advantage of terrible circumstances, the winds aren’t particularly dying down. North to northeast gust are likely to increase over the day, with greater fire warnings going into effect at around 6 p.m. Saturday. That warning will be in place until Sunday evening. After what is expected to be bit of a reprieve, the winds will be blowing hard once again on Monday and into Wednesday with a force up to 45 mph.

PREVIOUSLY, JAN. 9 11:59 PM: The California National Guard has boots on the ground Thursday night in the fight against the fires ravaging L.A. County and preying looters.

Armored vehicles were seen on the 210 freeway late tonight traveling towards the Eaton Fire that has torn through Pasadena and Altadena the past several days, forcing thousands to evacuate and burning homes and other buildings to the ground.

Since starting on Tuesday, the Eaton Fire has charred almost 14,000 acres with 0% containment as of tonight. With the region now under a 6 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew for areas under mandatory evacuation orders, the 400 troops deployed will make a dedicated effort to clamp down on empty homes and businesses being robbed.

RELATED: L.A. Wildfires: 10 Confirmed Dead As Firefighters Work To Contain Blazes Amid Calmer Winds

There have been 20 arrests of looters in evacuation zones so far, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a press conference today. “You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said, referring to looters and those scamming residents of impacted communities.

Initially, the guard troops will be in place around the Eaton Fire and the devastating Palisades Fire. However, those orders could include other municipalities and neighborhoods over the next few days depending on the need, a law enforcement source tells Deadline.

Under criticism for waiting too long to get the guard out on the streets and not approving the request from the county until Thursday afternoon, California Gov. Gavin Newsom tonight made sure the show of force was well-known.

As the Sunset Fire around the Hollywood Hills was contained late Wednesday, a new blaze ignited in Calabasas and Hidden Hills on Thursday afternoon. Now called the Kenneth Fire, the flames were buoyed by the Santa Ana winds and tore through almost 1000 acres by 5:30 p.m. today. Even though Friday is a Red Flag Warning day in the county, winds are predicted to die off by mid-morning, well down from the 100 mph gusts experienced earlier this week.

A suspect was taken in for questioning by the LAPD today for potentially being the arsonist behind the Kenneth Fire.

Half a dozen fires have hit L.A. County as the Santa Ana winds have swept over the region this week. The fires have destroyed tens of thousands of acres, killed 10 people, and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and structures.

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