Dozens of UCLA families are raising funds after losing their homes and possessions in the Los Angeles County wildfires. First-year music performance student Zion Berry spoke about the loss of his childhood home to the Altadena fire, which has burned over 14,000 acres as of Saturday evening.

This post was updated Jan. 12 at 9:01 p.m.
After hearing from a neighbor that his family’s Altadena home had burned down, Zion Berry knew he had to see it for himself. 
He drove to his home of over 12 years Wednesday after his neighborhood had been destroyed by the Altadena fire, which started near Pasadena and Altadena on Tuesday and has since claimed over 14,000 acres. 
While driving and walking through his hometown, the first-year music performance student said he saw power lines on fire, street signs missing and chimneys with no houses left standing, including his own.

Booking logs from the LA County Sheriff’s Department show that at least seven people have so far been arrested and charged with burglary during a natural disaster since Tuesday.

Despite claims to the contrary, UCLA’s air quality sensors are accurately reporting that campus air quality remains within healthy levels, said Yifang Zhu, a UCLA professor of environmental health sciences.

Just over 20 patients for fire-related injuries were treated at UCLA Health hospitals, NBC reported around 2 p.m. PST. Spokespersons for UCLA Health have not returned calls or requests for comment.

This post was updated Dec. 26 at 9:11 p.m.
UC faculty have delayed sending the UC President and Board of Regents a first-year ethnic studies admissions proposal until they get more clarity from the state legislature’s upcoming budget.

A prominent UCLA ecologist on involuntary leave filed a lawsuit against the University earlier this month, alleging wrongful suspension, harassment and racial discrimination.
Ecology and evolutionary biology professor Priyanga Amarasekare joined UCLA in 2005, but she was suspended in July 2022 for a year with no pay by then-Chancellor Gene Block.

This post was updated May 25 at 6:29 p.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Neither an unapologetic condemnation of campus antisemitism nor an acknowledgment that he should’ve cleared UCLA’s encampment sooner appeared to save Chancellor Gene Block from strong – and, at times, aggressive – questioning from federal lawmakers Thursday.

WASHINGTON — Chancellor Gene Block’s upcoming congressional testimony has stirred debate about his administration’s recent handling of protests on campus and his response to lawmakers’ efforts to investigate the university.

UCLA faculty have heightened concerns over the integrity of the Academic Senate’s process to potentially issue an unprecedented no-confidence vote in Chancellor Gene Block, following documents released amid the fallout from Friday’s emergency meeting.