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Declaration of Local Emergency / Windstorm / Extreme Fire Weather System / January 2025

Council File 25-0030

Introduced
2025-01-07
Last changed
2026-05-13
Status
open
Expires
2028-05-13
Initiated by
Mayor

Brief

The Mayor declared a local emergency on January 7, 2025, in response to windstorms and extreme fire weather affecting Los Angeles. Council adopted the declaration on January 14, 2025, and has since renewed it regularly through May 2026, with the most recent renewal passed 15-0 on May 13, 2026. Emergency declarations remain in effect until the Council votes to terminate them or they expire. The file remains open with an expiration date of May 13, 2028.

Full summary

On January 7, 2025, Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency in response to devastating windstorms and extreme fire conditions across Los Angeles. An updated declaration filed January 13, 2025, detailed the scale of the crisis: the Palisades Fire had burned over 23,000 acres with only 14 percent containment and damaged or destroyed more than 5,000 structures, making it the second most destructive fire in California history by structures lost. The Hurst Fire in Sylmar had reached 800 acres before coming largely under control. Additional fires including the Kenneth, Sunset, Studio City, and Foothills fires were also active within city limits. The declaration described firefighters facing Category 2 hurricane-force winds exceeding 100 mph, and estimated the financial destruction would surpass in today's dollars the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. More than 80,000 people remained under evacuation orders as of January 13. The updated declaration directed all divisions of the Emergency Operations Organization and all city departments to take steps to protect life, health, and safety, and ordered all city general managers to develop action plans for rebuilding and recovery. The Mayor also requested that the City Council adopt resolutions to expedite emergency procurement and contracting, called on the Governor to issue further orders and the Legislature to enact legislation to accelerate rebuilding, and directed city departments to maximize FEMA and state reimbursement opportunities. President Biden had already authorized FEMA to cover 100 percent of specified costs including debris removal and fire suppression. Council adopted the initial declaration on January 14, 2025, and the updated declaration shortly after. Since then, Council has renewed the emergency at approximately monthly intervals throughout 2025 and into 2026, consistently by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The most recent renewal, on May 13, 2026, passed 15-0. Each renewal preserves the city's ability to continue operating under emergency powers, including expedited contracting and access to emergency funds, as rebuilding and recovery efforts continue. The file remains open and active.

Activity (63)

  • 2026-05-13 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-05-08 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 13, 2026.
  • 2026-05-05 Council action final.
  • 2026-04-22 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-04-17 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 22, 2026.
  • 2026-03-31 Council action final.
  • 2026-03-25 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-03-20 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 25, 2026.
  • 2026-02-27 Council action final.
  • 2026-02-25 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-02-20 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on February 25, 2026.
  • 2026-02-06 Council action final.
  • 2026-02-03 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-01-30 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on February 3, 2026.
  • 2026-01-16 Council action final.
  • 2026-01-14 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-01-09 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 14, 2026.
  • 2025-11-05 Council action final.
  • 2025-11-04 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-10-31 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on November 4, 2025.
  • 2025-10-07 Council action final.
  • 2025-10-07 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2025-10-03 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on October 7, 2025.
  • 2025-09-15 Council action final.
  • 2025-09-10 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-09-05 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on September 10, 2025.
  • 2025-08-22 Council action final.
  • 2025-08-20 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-08-15 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on August 20, 2025.
  • 2025-08-01 Council action final.
  • 2025-07-30 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-07-25 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on July 30, 2025.
  • 2025-07-01 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2025-07-01 Council action final.
  • 2025-06-27 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on July 1, 2025.
  • 2025-06-20 Council action final.
  • 2025-06-18 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-06-13 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on June 18, 2025.
  • 2025-05-30 Council action final.
  • 2025-05-28 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-05-23 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 28, 2025.
  • 2025-05-09 Council action final.
  • 2025-05-07 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-05-02 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on May 7, 2025.
  • 2025-04-11 Council action final.
  • 2025-04-11 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2025-04-08 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 11, 2025.
  • 2025-03-25 Council action final.
  • 2025-03-21 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-03-18 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on March 21, 2025.
  • 2025-02-26 Council action final.
  • 2025-02-25 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-02-21 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on February 25, 2025.
  • 2025-02-05 Council action final.
  • 2025-02-04 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2025-01-31 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on February 4, 2025.
  • 2025-01-14 Council action final.
  • 2025-01-14 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2025-01-13 Mayor document(s) referred to Council.
  • 2025-01-13 Document(s) submitted by Mayor, as follows:Mayor's updated Declaration of Local Emergency, dated January 13, 2025, relative to the existence of a local emergency as the City of Los Angeles is impacted by windstorms and an extreme fire weather system.
  • 2025-01-10 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 14, 2025.
  • 2025-01-08 Mayor document(s) referred to Council.
  • 2025-01-07 Document(s) submitted by Mayor, as follows:Mayor's Declaration of Local Emergency, dated January 7, 2025, relative to the existence of a local emergency as the City of Los Angeles is impacted by windstorms and an extreme fire weather system.

Documents (56)

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