FIRES CONTINUE to burn across Los Angeles County (LA County Fire photo).

The loss of lives, along with property damage, continues to rise as fires continue to blaze in two locations north of Los Angeles.
According to the Los Angeles Times, over 10,000 homes and other structures have been damaged or destroyed and five people killed as a result of the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires.

At estimated 130,000 people are under evacuation orders and fire-fighting experts are suggesting that the blazes – still not contained – could be “the costliest wildfire disaster in American history.”

One estimate has placed the value of the losses at $50 billion or more.

The blaze has spread to neighborhoods in Malibu and Eaton, and there are other smaller fires across the northern part of L.A. County and the San Gabriel Valley.

No “hold” on hush-money case

SUPREME COURT building in Washington, D.C. (Wikipedia).

President-elect Donald Trump’s request to put a hold on sentencing in his New York “hush money” case was rejected on Thursday by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The justices voted 5-4 – with Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett joining with three liberal colleagues – to reject the appeal, according to the Associated Press.

Trump actually praised the ruling – “it was actually a very good opinion” – because his team was already planning an appeal of his earlier conviction on 34 felony charges related to paying $130,000 to a porn actress to conceal a sexual relationship, which Trump denies.

Sports: Rams game moved in Arizona

Due to the wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles County, the NFL wild card playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings has been moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

It had been scheduled to be played in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

It will still be played on Monday and the telecast on ABC and ESPN will begin at 5 p.m. Pacific time.

Fighting Irish win, head to title game

By the margin of a last-second field goal, Notre Dame defeated Penn State 27-24 Thursday night in the Orange Bowl – also a College Football Playoff semifinal game – and will advance to the winner of Friday’s other semifinal, the Cotton Bowl clash between Ohio State and Texas in Atlanta on January 20.

Weather: Sunny and cooling

Our West Orange County cities will have cooling temperatures and sunny skies as we move toward the weekend. Friday through Monday should also have plenty of sunshine. Friday is expected to have a daytime high of 68 with an overnight low of 49. The thermometer will slip to 64 (52) on Saturday and 66 (44) on Sunday before hitting 64 (47) on Monday.