A new wildfire was reported today at 9:26 a.m. in Los Angeles County. The wildfire has been burning on private land. At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

LA faces an initial $358 million wildfire recovery bill that is expected to rise with no immediate state or federal aid

But wildfire experts say cutting down Southern California's chaparral won't make the region safer from wildfires. In fact, because of the local ecology, they say clearing vast swaths of native brush could actually make the landscape even more flammable.

Fires in Los Angeles forced evacuations, but disabled residents faced challenges, prompting officials to consider a tracking database.

By Matt Stiles, Sean O'Key, Byron Manley, Lou Robinson, Curt Merrill, Annette Choi, Rachel Wilson, Henrik Pettersson, Amy O’Kruk and Renée Rigdon, CNN