Out-of-Control Fires Devastate Los Angeles Area

Also, no one bid for the chance to drill in Alaska’s wilderness. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday.

Several major wildfires, fueled by fierce winds and dry vegetation, scorched Los Angeles all day long. More than 1,000 homes and businesses were reduced to ash. The fires have killed least two people and forced more than 100,000 others to evacuate. Many of my colleagues are on the ground there, reporting live.

Here is a map tracking the fires, and photographs capturing the scenes from around the city.

Officials warned that the worst might still be yet to come. The two largest blazes were not at all contained, and firefighters were facing unfathomable conditions, including ferocious winds and a dwindling water supply. Firefighters from across the West were traveling in to help.

The largest fire decimated the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Businesses were charred, power lines were downed and the air was full of smoke. Several blocks of homes along Sunset Boulevard, the area’s famous thruway, were completely destroyed. Local landmarks burned down.

One resident dropped to his knees in front of a firefighter who was battling a blaze consuming the home next door, begging him to turn the water on the flames threatening his own home. Another firefighter warned: “We’re down to 25 percent. Hold off.”

At a shelter in Pasadena, a man told his wife that their home had been destroyed. The woman fell to her knees, sobbing. In Pacific Palisades, a man trekked through the debris to confirm that his house was gone. “I just needed to see it,” he said.

D.O.J. said it would hold off on releasing part of Trump report

Federal prosecutors said today that they planned to release a portion of a report by the special counsel, Jack Smith, detailing his investigation into Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. They also said the Justice Department planned to hold off on releasing the other volume of the report, which details Smith’s investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents.

The prosecutors explained in a filing that it was legally problematic to release the volume on the documents case while the prosecution of Trump’s co-defendants was still ongoing. The filing came in response to a surprising court injunction blocking both volumes of Smith’s report from being released.

In related news, Trump asked the Supreme Court to intervene and halt his sentencing in his New York criminal case.

No one bid for the chance to drill in Alaska’s wilderness

Donald Trump said this week that oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was one of his top energy priorities. But the Interior Department announced today that an effort to auction oil and gas leases in the pristine wilderness had ended without a single bidder.

Auctions to drill on the land have flopped twice in four years. The failures suggest that oil companies either are not interested or do not think it’s worth the cost. Some Alaska lawmakers and officials argued, however, that the Biden administration had not offered up enough land after it cut the allotment by more than two-thirds. Alaska’s governor called the auction “designed to fail.”

More top news

• Washington: In an interview, President Biden said that he could have won re-election if he had stayed in the race. He also admitted that he might not have had the vitality for a second term.
• Gaza: The body of a hostage taken from Israel on Oct. 7 was found in an underground tunnel, the Israeli military said.
• Trump: The president-elect’s territorial ambitions rattled global politics. Greenland insisted it was not for sale, and Mexico’s president joked that the U.S. should be renamed.
• Iran: Cecilia Sala, a prominent Italian journalist who had been detained by the authorities, was released after 20 days.
• Florida: Matt Gaetz, the former representative who withdrew as Trump’s nominee for attorney general, said that he was “starting to think about running for governor.”
• Labor: Ports on the East and Gulf Coasts could close next week if dockworkers and employers cannot strike a deal.
• Health: A study linked high fluoride exposure to lower I.Q. in children. Some scientists criticized the report.
• Politics: Prominent far-right figures have fallen out with Elon Musk over his influence on Trump and his moves to restrict accounts on X, the social media network.
• Business: Trump’s election sent cryptocurrencies soaring. Now, more than 70 publicly traded companies have invested in Bitcoin.
• Health: Obamacare enrollment hit a record, with nearly 24 million Americans signed up for plans under the program.

TIME TO UNWIND

The Academy is now deliberating

With the Academy Awards two months away, voting for this year’s Oscars opened today, and our critics took the moment to make their picks for who should receive nominations. They agree that “Anora,” “Green Border” and “Nickel Boys” should receive nods for best picture. Check out their full lists.

For more: Could this finally be the year that the Oscars is cool? Our awards season columnist Kyle Buchanan thinks it’s worth considering.

What determines longevity?

You’ve probably heard stories of people who reached 100 years old without adhering to typical medical advice. Helen Reichert, for example, lived to be 109, outlasting all the doctors who kept telling her to stop smoking cigarettes. So we wanted to know what matters more for longevity: living a healthy lifestyle, or being born with lucky genetics?

It turns out, it depends on what you mean by longevity. Scientists believe making it to 80 or even 90 is largely in our control, but if you want to become a centenarian, you’re going to need a little help from your ancestors.

Dinner table topics

• A chance encounter: The dream of a lifetime became reality for a sculptor from Egypt who took a job as a security guard at the Met.
• Burlap & Barrel: A spice company that sources directly from farms has become a secret ingredient for celebrity chefs and home cooks alike.
• Lives Lived: Perry, a miniature donkey who was a model for the chatty “Shrek” character named Donkey, died at 30.
• Ratty mitts: One N.H.L. player uses worn-out gloves with holes. He loves them.

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

Cook: Freshen up your winter with a poke bowl.

Watch: The director James Mangold narrated a key sequence from his Bob Dylan biopic.

Listen: These five minutes could make you love jazz guitar.

Sprinkle: A little bit of “flavor dust” can make a healthy snack feel indulgent.

Exercise: Try this 15-minute kettlebell workout.

Compete: Take our quiz to see how well you know popular detective novels.

Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.

ONE LAST THING

Please don’t eat your Christmas tree

The Belgian authorities issued that warning this week after the city of Ghent encouraged its residents to cook with the needles from their leftover holiday trees. The city asked: Why not make a delicious spruce needle butter?

The reason: It could be dangerous. Christmas trees are often treated with pesticides and fire retardants that are not meant to be consumed. And yew, an evergreen, can be poisonous. “Christmas trees are not intended to end up in the food chain,” a Belgian official told The Times.

Have a safe evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today.

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.