What we covered here
• Tens of thousands of people have been told to evacuate as a fast-growing fire destroys homes in the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. Many were forced to abandon cars in the seaside neighborhood sandwiched between Malibu and Santa Monica, which have also issued evacuation orders. With traffic slowing evacuations, and flames jumping the highway, some considered sheltering on the beach.
• The out-of-control Palisades fire is blazing through about five football fields a minute and has burned more than 2,900 acres. Los Angeles has declared an emergency and officials warned that the worst is yet to come as “tornado-like” winds complicate firefighters’ battles.
• Two other fires have erupted in Los Angeles County: The 100-acre strong Hurst fire north of San Fernando, and the Eaton fire in Altadena, which has grown to 1,000 acres in a matter of hours. At a Pasadena senior care home, workers raced to evacuate residents with the Eaton blaze just a block away. More than 200,000 homes and buildings are without power in the county.
Our live coverage of the Los Angeles County wildfires has moved here.
All Malibu residents told to prepare to evacuate even if they're not under an order
All residents in Malibu not under evacuation orders have been told to prepare for evacuation anyway, with the city warning that it was a “critical time to prepare for the unpredictable and rapidly changing nature of the fire.”
Those who need additional time to evacuate, or who have pets or livestock, should consider preparing to leave now, the city said in an update on its website just before midnight Tuesday.
It urged residents to relocate northwest toward Oxnard if they had a safe location to go outside Malibu, saying early evacuations could help avoid traffic congestion or delays if an order is later issued.
Evacuees can head to these three shelters:
- Westwood Recreation Center
- Pasadena Convention Center
- El Camino Real Charter High School
Those with animals can head to these shelters:
- Agoura Animal Care Center (small animals)
- LA Equestrian Center (large animals)
- Pierce College Equestrian Center (large animals)
Drivers abandon vehicles on Sunset, Topanga Canyon, Pacific Coast Highway to escape blaze
Drivers began abandoning their cars across Los Angeles’ main roadways early Tuesday after authorities told people to clear the roads as the Palisades fire grew closer.
On Sunset Boulevard, drivers were told by fire officials to get our of their cars and escape the fast-approaching blaze by foot. The fire department later reported 30 vehicles that were abandoned on Sunset that would be bulldozed to make way for first responders, according to CNN affiliate KCAL.
“The fire came right down to the road and the fire department came up and said get out of your cars now — because the fire was right up against the cars,” Marsha Horowitz, who was driving down Sunset at the time, told KCAL.
“There were three lanes of cars, and the fire was right down and there was nothing to stop it.”
Another driver on Sunset said that she witnessed fire all around her as fire officials approached her to leave her car.
All highway lanes near Topanga Canyon Boulevard closed after the wildfire expanded to 200 acres on Tuesday morning, while part of the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu experienced a traffic gridlock before authorities told drivers to leave their cars.
Adam Handler and his wife were among those trying to evacuate when they received a chilling warning from law enforcement authorities, according to CNN affiliate KNBC.
Fire breaks out in Santa Paula, Ventura County
Structures and vehicles are on fire in Santa Paula, in the Santa Clara River Valley between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
Videos posted by the department show smoke and embers flying in the strong wind, with fire crews handling multiple hoses.
It was not immediately clear whether the fire was linked to the wildfires in Los Angeles County.
"The smoke was unbearable," Pasadena evacuee tells CNN
As she evacuated from her home, Pasadena resident Bobbie Oliver sent CNN photos and videos.
“The smoke was unbearable even with windows closed,” Oliver told CNN. “We could see the fire and our house was full of smoke. Then a cop car went around saying evacuate now in a bullhorn,” she added.
Oliver was able to grab her two dogs, laptops and passports along with some of her father’s artwork before leaving.
“It was frantic and downed trees and branches all in the streets,” she said about the evacuation. In one video she sent to CNN, police cars and strong winds can be heard.
Eaton fire expands to 1,000 acres, just six hours after it began
The Eaton fire, located in Altadena north of Pasadena, has rapidly grown to cover 1,000 acres – just six hours after it began burning.
Like the other two blazes burning in the area – the massive Palisades fire and the newly erupted Hurst fire – the Eaton fire is at 0% containment, according to fire officials.
Firefighters have been battling the blazes since Tuesday afternoon, warning earlier in the day that extreme wind conditions would only get worse overnight – with fire crews now in the thick of it, at shortly after midnight in California.
With no hope of containment tonight, firefighters are focusing on saving lives
There is no possibility of containing the Los Angeles fires tonight, and firefighters are focusing on saving lives instead, said David Acuna, the public information officer with CAL Fire and a battalion chief.
Asked by CNN if there was “any hope of possibility of containment of these fires, given the high winds” Acuna replied: “No. Honestly, there’s not.”
Acuna said strong wind meant the fires continued to expand.
Evacuation orders issued north of Sylmar and San Fernando as Hurst fire spreads "rapidly"
The Hurst fire, which began around 10:30 p.m. in the Sylmar neighborhood just above San Fernando, is “spreading rapidly under high winds, creating dangerous conditions for nearby communities,” according to state fire department CAL Fire.
An evacuation order was issued for the area north of the Interstate 210, sitting just north of Sylmar, while evacuation warnings have been issued for parts of the Granada Hills North neighborhood southwest of the highway.
The fire is about 100 acres big.
Eaton fire grows to 600 acres, as two other blazes burn elsewhere
The Eaton fire in Altadena has grown to 600 acres, according to CAL Fire, the state’s fire department – an increase from 400 acres from just three hours ago. And less than an hour before that, it was only at 100 acres, showing just how quickly the blaze has exploded.
Elsewhere in LA County, the huge Palisades fire is still burning near Santa Monica, measuring more than 2,900 acres. A new, third fire has erupted north of San Fernando, with the Hurst Fire at 100 acres big.
Here are the evacuation centers that have been set up so far, according to CAL Fire:
- El Camino Real Charter High School
- Pasadena Convention Center
- Westwood Recreation Center
Drought and climate change exacerbating conditions for rapid wildfire growth
California has experienced a stark contrast in weather between regions, with significantly above-average rainfall across Northern California, while some parts of Southern California haven’t seen over a quarter of an inch of rainfall since early July.
A series of atmospheric rivers and atmospheric river-fueled storms have barraged Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, bringing significant precipitation. This has brought rainfall amounts to as much as 200% above normal across Northern California since October 1.
The opposite is the truth for Southern California, which has seen Santa Ana wind events and below average rainfall over the past three months. On October 1, none of Los Angeles County was under drought conditions, but according to the latest drought numbers, which came out on January 1, over 83% of the county is in a moderate drought.
On October 1, only 10% of the California as a whole was under any sort of drought conditions, the majority occurring across southeastern California. Fast forward to the latest drought numbers, over 30% of the state is experiencing some sort of drought conditions, with the majority of this occurring across Southern California. Little relief is in store for Southern California, with the Climate Prediction Center calling for below-average rainfall chances for the month of January.
The role of climate change: Wildfires are fueled by a knot of factors, both natural and human-caused, but scientists say that global warming is loading the dice in favor of more intense and severe blazes.
Hotter temperatures are the clearest climate change-fueled contributor to wildfires. Heat sucks the moisture from vegetation making it much more combustible. “Drier fuels are a critical part of fire, the drier the fuel the easier it is to start a fire,” Mike Flannigan, professor of wildland fire at the University of Alberta, told CNN in March.
CNN’s Laura Paddison contributed reporting.
Palisades fire remains at 0% containment
The Pacific Palisades fire is burning at 0% containment at 2,921 acres, the Los Angeles County Fire Department wrote in a post on X late Tuesday.
Two videos attached to the post show fires violently searing upwards through trees, with branches charred and bare.
Celebrities evacuate as Palisades fire rips through their neighborhoods
Several celebrities have been affected by the Palisades fire, which blazed through the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood in the Santa Monica mountains.
Actor Eugene Levy, most recently known for his role in “Schitt’s Creek,” told the Los Angeles Times that he got stuck while evacuating. “The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon,” he said. “I couldn’t see any flames but the smoke was very dark.”
Actor James Woods shared videos of the fire engulfing a house two doors down from him, later saying he had evacuated the area. “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing, but sadly houses on our little street are not,” he wrote on X, adding that his family had renovated a home after the pandemic and just finished last month.
Actor Steve Guttenberg helped fire crews by trying to move some abandoned cars from the road, telling CNN he’d never seen anything like it in his life. By the time he evacuated in the early evening, burning trees were falling on Sunset Boulevard, and iconic buildings like the Pierson Playhouse, part of the Theatre Palisades.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said his mother was forced to flee the Palisades and that team staff member Everett Dayton’s family home had been lost. “Everything I’m seeing and reading is just terrifying,” he said in a news conference shared on X.
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick said that his family, his wife’s family along with her twin sister’s family have all been evacuated from the Palisades fire. “I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now,” Redick said before the Lakers’ game against the Mavericks in Dallas, the Associated Press reported. “That’s where I live.”
About the neighborhood: The coastal community has long been popular among celebrities, including Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. It’s also home to the famous Getty Villa, a museum that houses a variety of relics from Greece and Rome, which said Tuesday night it was safe from the fire.
Third fire erupts in Sylmar, near San Fernando
A third blaze, the Hurst fire, has erupted in the Sylmar neighborhood just northwest of San Fernando, according to CAL Fire, the state’s fire department.
The fire has burned through 100 acres, with an immediate evacuation order issued for the area north of the 210 Freeway from Roxford to the Interstate 5-state Route 14 split, also known as the Newhall Pass interchange.
The fire is located between the Palisades and Eaton fires, at a more northern latitude.
Fires visible from planes flying over Los Angeles County
Shelby Kidman, who was onboard a flight as it traveled over the Palisades fire, filmed the blaze from above.
She told CNN the video was taken as her flight from Salt Lake City approached Los Angeles International Airport.
Watch the fires raging beneath the plane:
Elderly residents evacuated with no shoes on as fires race across Los Angeles County. Here's what to know
Burning through five football fields a minute, the Palisades fire has expanded rapidly over the past few hours, destroying homes and prompting evacuation warnings for tens of thousands of people, from Malibu to Santa Monica.
Many were forced to abandon cars in the area that is again at the center of a large blaze following December’s Franklin fire. With traffic slowing evacuations and flames jumping the highway, some had also considered sheltering on the beach.
A separate fire in Los Angeles County, the Eaton fire in Altadena, has doubled in size to 400 acres.
At a Pasadena elderly care home, workers raced to get everybody out safe with Eaton fire just a block away, according to CNN affiliate KCAL. Video shows dozens of residents in wheelchairs, many wearing only thin gowns and covered in shawls on the cold night.
Some didn’t even have shoes, only their socks on, in the rush to leave.
Here’s what you should know:
• Schools close: Five schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District will close on Wednesday, and classes are moving online.
• Firefighter injured: A 25-year-old firefighter has sustained a serious head injury. She received treatment at the scene and was sent to hospital, the fire department said.
• Eaton fire doubles: In the space of an hour, the Eaton fire in Altadena has exploded to 400 acres. The Angeles National Forest has urged people in the area to evacuate immediately as high winds are forecast to continue and tens of thousands also flee the Palisades fire. More than 200,000 homes and buildings are without power in the county.
• Renowned buildings in flames: A beloved roadside seafood restaurant in Malibu was destroyed by the Palisades fire. The Reel Inn was 36 years old. The Palisades Charter High School, a famed set for films, and nearby elementary school were engulfed by flames.
• All equipment used: California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that “hundreds and hundreds of personnel” were responding to the Palisades fire, using airplanes, helicopters, bulldozers and water tenders. The Los Angeles Fire Department is also asking off-duty members to call in to help battle the blaze. But as fire crews battle the Eaton fire north of Pasadena, their fight is limited by having grounded aircraft due to the extreme winds.
• Firefighter warnings: Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Sheila Kelliher has warned that firefighters are in for a long night, with “tornado-like” winds expected to get worse. Kelliher said the terrain and wind combined created a “massive fight.”
SAG Awards in-person nominations to be canceled, announced online instead
The 31st annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards nominations announcement, expected to take place live and in-person in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, has been canceled because of the ongoing wildfires.
“Nominees will be unveiled tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. PT via press release and the SAG Awards website,” read a statement from the awards on X.
The official SAG Awards ceremony, to be hosted by actress Kristen Bell this year, will take place on February 23.
"I haven’t seen such extreme fire behavior in a very long time," says LAFD captain
“I haven’t seen such extreme fire behavior in a very long time,” Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher told CNN.
“The erratic winds are what’s the story,” said Kelliher, noting that she’s only seen this kind of fire behavior a few times in her 25 years on the job.
Speaking to CNN from inside her car at Rogers Beach, she said that the department is using the roadside parking lot as a “command post” as erratic winds continue to strengthen wildfires that have jumped across roads towards the ocean.
Kelliher described seeing the fire jump toward the beach and burning down two lifeguard towers. The air, she said, seemed to resemble snow or sleet falling with the winds –– except “that’s the ash and that’s the smoke.”
The fire chief emphasized that safety is the department’s priority and that everyone in the fire’s path should heed evacuation orders. “It’s an actual fight. We can win. Some are too far gone,” she said.
Fire officials use bulldozer to move abandoned cars off the road as thousands fled
As tens of thousands of residents fled the Palisades fire on Tuesday, fire officials at one point used a bulldozer to move abandoned vehicles, which had piled up as evacuees became stuck in traffic and decided to flee on foot, off a road.
Videos show the bulldozer scooping up cars and pushing them to the side, with flames and dark smoke visible a short distance away. The sound of metal grinding, glass breaking, car alarms going off and the bulldozer’s roar can be heard.
Officials had to move 30 cars out of the way to clear the road, according to Traffic News Los Angeles.
If you have to abandon a vehicle: “Get it as far off the road as you can so that emergency vehicles get by,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said.
Palisades Charter High School, a famed setting for Hollywood films, is "engulfed in flames," school board member says
As the Palisades fire rips through the Santa Monica mountains and coastal neighborhoods, it has damaged the Palisades Charter High School and nearby elementary school, a school board member told CNN on Tuesday night.
The high school is “currently engulfed in flames,” said Nick Melvoin, a Los Angeles Unified School District board member.
Firefighters are now “working heroically … to preserve the main structures,” but many facilities, including athletic buildings, baseball and tennis courts, and some bungalows, have been “destroyed,” he said.
What to know about the school: The high school was formerly administered by LAUSD but is now an independent charter school, according to its website. The campus may look familiar to many, having been used during the filming of popular shows and films including “Teen Wolf,” “Carrie,” “Freaky Friday” and “American Vandal.”
Melvoin said the school was not in session when the fire broke out, with students still on winter break.
Video shows Eaton fire destroying homes, with wind sending red embers flying into the distance
The Eaton fire, which erupted early Tuesday evening, has ripped through houses and structures in just a few hours and now measures 400 acres in size.
Videos shared by Traffic News Los Angeles show a house going up in a blaze, with the fire crackling loudly. Only the skeleton of the house is still visible, as flames lick at the crumbling beams; seconds later the roof collapses, sending up plumes of dark smoke.
Firefighters can be seen trying to put out the fire, with several hoses deployed. Around them, a fierce wind whips, sending red embers flying into the air and skittering down the road – the exact danger that firefighters warned could cause a blaze to spread quickly over a large area.
Watch the video:
Drought, dry air and gusty winds the perfect combination of bad conditions for Southern California fires
Gusty winds, dry air and ongoing drought across Southern California have given conditions conducive for the Eaton fire to quickly grow to 400 acres. This fire is burning at the rate of over one football field a minute since beginning a few hours ago.
The National Weather Service said that north to northeast winds across the ridges could reach as high as 80 mph overnight.
Winds will shift direction to become more northeast on Wednesday, potentially still reaching 75 mph. These winds combined with humidities dropping into the single digits means that this fire could continue to spread quickly through the morning. Winds should begin to decrease by Wednesday afternoon but could still reach 40 mph.
A firefighter has sustained "a serious head injury," LAFD says
A firefighter has been seriously injured, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed on Tuesday night.
He did not say whether the firefighter had been working to battle the Palisades or Eaton fires, which are raging simultaneously.
He also said that around 9 p.m., “multiple burn victims were reported walking toward a nearby restaurant.” Medical resources were sent to the location to evaluate and treat the patients.
Wind gusts of more than 80 mph hit parts of Southern California on Tuesday
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has released some of the highest wind gusts through the day on Tuesday. Gusts in the area of the Palisades fire area reached between 40 and 60 mph through the day, but isolated gusts across Southern California reached more than 80 mph. Here are the some of the highest and notable reports:
Magic Mountain Truck Trail: 86 mph
Pacoima (Whiteman Apt.): 78 mph
Saddle Peak: 72 mph
Chilao: 69 mph
Topanga: 43 mph
Wind gusts are expected to continue to increase overnight and through Wednesday morning.
“Widespread damaging north to northeast winds and extreme fire weather conditions will continue through Wednesday. Winds will peak through Wednesday morning. Downed trees and power lines, power outages, hazardous driving conditions, increased traffic, and airport delays are to be expected across the Southland,” warns the National Weather Service.
These gusty winds combined with very dry air have prompted red flag warnings for more than 18 million people across Southern California. Widespread wind gusts could reach 80 mph with wind gusts across the San Gabriel and Santa Susana mountains as well as the foothills of the San Gabriel/San Fernando valleys potentially reaching 100 mph. Combined with dry air – with relative humidity dropping to 10 percent – ongoing fires and any new fires could quickly spread out of control.
Iconic Malibu seafood restaurant destroyed by fires
An iconic roadside restaurant in Malibu was destroyed by the Palisades fire as the blaze expanded late Tuesday.
Reel Inn, a 36-year-old seafood restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway, burned down just after 4 p.m., according to the Malibu Times. In a statement posted by its owners on Instagram, Teddy and Andy Leonard said they were “heartbroken and unsure of what will be left.”
“Hopefully the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles,” they added.
The owners said that all staff were safe.
Reel Inn was reportedly engulfed by flames after the fire jumped Topanga Canyon in the late afternoon. The establishment was described as a “staple along the Pacific Coast Highway for decades,” the Malibu Times wrote, and a popular gathering spot for locals and tourists alike.
In pictures: Los Angeles residents flee devastating wildfires
Firefighters are battling wildfires in the Los Angeles area as a devastating wind storm has created extremely dangerous conditions. See some of the most stark photos below.
Pasadena senior center evacuates elderly residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds
A senior center in Pasadena evacuated its elderly residents on Tuesday night to a nearby parking lot in a chaotic scene as workers raced to get everybody out safe with flames burning just a block away, according to CNN affiliate KCAL.
The Terraces at Park Marino facility decided to evacuate after the 400-acre Eaton fire spread nearby in the hills above Altadena. Video from KCAL shows dozens of residents in wheelchairs, many wearing only thin gowns and covered in shawls on the cold night.
Some didn’t even have shoes, only their socks on in the rush to leave; workers hurriedly walked among them, tending to residents and covering them up from the wind.
One worker helping the operation, identified as Randy, said they were trying to evacuate about 95 people in total. Ambulances and police cars wailed nearby, with some people being wheeled by in gurneys.
Correction: This post as been updated to add the correct name of the senior center that was evacuated. It is The Terraces at Park Marino.
California receives another FEMA grant to fight Eaton fire
California has received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fight the Eaton fire raging near Altadena, now reaching 400 acres in size, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on X.
Earlier Tuesday, the state also received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to fight the Palisades fire, which is more than 2,921 acres big.
The grants will help support local fire departments in their response costs and are one of many resources the state will receive from the federal government in response to the fires.
"My heart goes out to all those being impacted," Vice President Harris says of Palisades fire
Vice President Kamala Harris said “My heart goes out to all those being impacted” by the wildfires in Southern California.
Harris said that she has been briefed and will continue to receive updates on the wildfires.
Firefighters can't use aircraft over Eaton fire due to strong winds, says city spokesperson
As fire crews battle the Eaton fire north of Pasadena, now 400 acres in size, their fight is limited by having grounded aircraft due to the extreme winds, said city spokesperson Lisa Derderian.
Speaking to CNN affiliate KCAL, she said there were structures threatened and that city authorities were working to set up mass care and sheltering for evacuees.
Evacuations: There are 10 zones under evacuation orders, which means there is an “immediate threat to life” and residents should leave immediately. An additional 18 ones are under potential threat, and are under evacuation warnings.
By the numbers: Here's how fast the Palisades fire is spreading
A fast-moving fire is forcing residents in Southern California to evacuate.
Here’s what you should know about the blaze:
Power outages: More than 100,000 people are without power in Los Angeles County, according to poweroutage.us — a database that tracks and aggregates live power outages in the US.
Acreage: The fire so far has grown to 2,900 acres. According to Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher, whipping winds through the steep canyon makes fighting the fire “very challenging.” Firefighters had to move their command post due to the encroaching fire, she said, adding that the fire is “moving along pretty quick.”
Evacuation orders: At least 30,000 people had been evacuated from a total of 10,000 households, 15,000 structures, businesses and other buildings.
Wind speeds: Winds gusted at 40 to 60 mph during the day and could gust up to 80 mph overnight.
This post has been updated with the latest information.
More than 180,000 customers in LA County are without power
As of 9:15 p.m. PST, roughly 184,400 customers in LA County are without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
Watch a CNN crew escape a blaze in the Santa Monica area
A CNN crew filmed their evacuation from an area where a dangerous wildfire is rapidly growing in Southern California.
5 LA Unified schools close and classes move online
Five schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District will close on Wednesday due to fires, and classes will be moved online.
The schools are Canyon Charter Elementary, Marquez Charter Elementary, Palisades Charter Elementary, Kenter Canyon Elementary and Paul Revere Middle School.
“Topanga Elementary Charter School will continue its relocation to Woodland Hills Academy,” LA Unified said in a statement released on Tuesday night.
The school district said that it will also prepare for the possibility of online learning on Thursday and that the decision would be made by Wednesday afternoon.
“Schools will be in communication with families regarding any closures, relocations, or changes to operation hours and activities. Please look for communication from your school or Los Angeles Unified,” it said.
Eaton fire doubles in size to 400 acres
The Eaton fire in Altadena is exploding at 400 acres, the Angeles National Forest said on X –– less than an hour after the fire was estimated at 200 acres.
The organization has urged people in the eastern LA County area to evacuate immediately as high winds are forecast to continue overnight and tens of thousands also flee the Palisades fire.
A time-lapse captured by webcams from Alert California and UC San Diego shows the raging Eaton fire moving fast and searing toward structures in Altadena.
Evacuation orders have reached Santa Monica
Evacuation orders have reached Santa Monica, the seaside city west of downtown Los Angeles, as the Palisades fire burns through five football fields a minute.
That refers to an area at the northwest edge of the city, bordering the Santa Monica Canyon. Another major stretch right next to the order zone, ringed in by Montana Avenue and 26th Street, is under evacuation warning – meaning residents face potential threat to life and those who need additional time to evacuate should leave now.
Eaton fire evacuations: As tens of thousands flee the Palisades fire, many are now beginning to evacuate from the Eaton fire, too – a new 400-acre blaze that erupted in Altadena, in eastern LA County.
Nine zones in the area are under evacuation orders, while five more are under evacuation warnings.
Airplanes, helicopters, bulldozers among tools used to suppress raging fire, governor says
In a video posted to X on Tuesday evening, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that “hundreds and hundreds of personnel” from California are responding to the Palisades fire. Newsom also said airplanes, helicopters, bulldozers, water tenders and speciality personnel were “putting everything we can to not only suppress this fire but to prevent additional fires.”
Newsom called the strong winds fuelling the fire “unprecedented” for this time of the year, adding that “this time of year traditionally has not been fire season, but now we disabuse any notion that there is a fire season. It’s year-round in the state of California.”
"Tornado-like" winds are only going to get worse, says fire captain
Firefighters are in for a long night, with extreme wind conditions expected to get worse, warned Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Sheila Kelliher.
Kelliher said the terrain and wind combined created a “massive fight.” Complicating matters is the nature of the wind, which “doesn’t just stay at one direction,” she added.
She pointed to a burning hillside nearby, describing the “whipping tornado-like columns and spouts,” even taking a moment to catch her balance when the strong wind nearly knocked her over.
"My administration will do everything it can to support the response," Biden says on LA fire
President Joe Biden said that he is being “frequently briefed” on the wildfires in Los Angeles and that the White House “will do everything it can to support the response.”
“I urge the residents of the Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles to stay vigilant and listen to local officials,” he continued.
The White House said that Biden has been briefed over the phone on the Palisades wildfire by FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton.
The Palisades fire is burning more than 5 football fields a minute
The Palisades fire is burning through about five football fields every minute in Southern California, as gusty winds spread the flames that have burned more than 2,900 acres, according to CAL Fire.
The winds around the fire are expected to continue increasing to 60 to 80 mph overnight.
Wednesday is forecast to bring more winds gusting over 60 mph, and another day of level 3 “extremely critical fire weather” in LA and Ventura counties.
Mandatory evacuations expand in Palisades fire as it grows to over 2,900 acres
Mandatory evacuations in the Palisades fire have expanded east to Kenter and north to Mulholland Road as the fire has grown to 2,920 acres, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an update.
This comes as fire officials said the worst winds are expected between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. PT.
New fire explodes in eastern Los Angeles County
A new fire has exploded to 200 acres in eastern Los Angeles County as the Palisades fire continues to grow rapidly.
The Eaton fire in Altadena has prompted evacuations as high winds continue overnight, the Angeles National Forest said in a post on X.
The US Forest Service, Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Pasadena Fire Department are in unified command, they said.
Los Angeles Fire Department asks off-duty members to call in for availability
The Los Angeles Fire Department is asking off-duty members to call in to potentially assist in fighting the Palisades fire.
In a post on X, the department asked members to call in “with their availability for recall” after the fire grew rapidly throughout the day.
CAL Fire, California’s firefighting agency, will assume command Wednesday morning.
Nearby cities issue evacuation orders, ask residents to avoid the area near Palisades fire
Cities surrounding Pacific Palisades have issued evacuation warnings and are urging caution as the Palisades fire continues to expand overnight.
In Malibu, which is to the west of the fire, evacuation orders and warnings are in place for five zones, and the city encouraged residents to “be vigilant and ready to evacuate quickly if an evacuation order is given.”
“We understand how deeply unsettling this is for our community, especially coming less than a month after the Franklin Fire and two months after the Broad Fire,” Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart said in a statement. “To those impacted by the Palisades Fire, our hearts are with you, and we want you to know the City is here to support you.”
To the south, Santa Monica told residents to avoid the northern parts of the city to give space to first responders.
Watch the extremely dangerous conditions in the Pacific Palisades area
A life-threatening, widespread windstorm has created extremely dangerous fire weather conditions in Southern California.
See CNN National correspondent Natasha Chen’s reporting from the area:
Palisades' residents describe helping fire crews save some homes as their neighborhood burns around them
Two residents of Pacific Palisades, their exhausted faces covered in soot, described spending hours helping fire crews in their burning neighborhood.
Their strategy, he said, was to catch the fires early, watering any embers they see and saturating the fields near them. They said the strong winds make it easy for the fire to spread and even harder to put out.
“This is as close as we’ve seen, and it’s black smoke everywhere,” fellow resident Jeff Marks said.
The two men said they planned to stay through the night looking for fires in their area and helping to put them out as they see them. They’re texting residents information on their houses and said most people have evacuated – including their own families.
“Maybe with a little bit of luck, we’ll be able to stay with it, but we made a big difference just for the few houses around us, for sure, with the firemen,” said Yost.
Catch up on what you need to know about the Palisades fire
The Palisades fire spans 1,261 acres, officials said Tuesday afternoon. The city of Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency, said Marqueece Harris-Dawson, president of the Los Angeles City Council.
Here’s what to know:
Burned area: Aerial reconnaissance shows that the Palisades fire has burned about 1,261 acres and growing with the help of strong winds and surrounding topography, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said Tuesday. The Pacific Palisades neighborhood is experiencing north to northeast winds around 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph, but stronger wind gusts are expected overnight, officials warned.
Evacuations: As of Tuesday afternoon, 30,000 people had been evacuated from a total of 10,000 households and 15,000 structures, businesses and other buildings, said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
Personnel in place: Over 250 firefighters are on scene fighting the Palisades fire, Crowley said Tuesday. This includes 46 engines, three trucks, five helicopters and six paramedic ambulances, among other resources. California had “pre-positioned hundreds of assets and personnel on Sunday in anticipation of this wind event,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news briefing Tuesday, listing a range of resources brought down from different parts of the state. Newsom also expressed his gratitude to President Joe Biden, who is in Los Angeles, for federal assistance. California also received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Tuesday, Newsom announced on X.
Abandoned vehicles: People faced traffic gridlock as they tried to flee the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, video from CNN affiliate KABC shows. Multiple people told KABC they left their cars trying to get out of the area. If evacuees have to abandon a vehicle, “get it as far off the road as you can so that emergency vehicles get by,” McDonnell said.
Power cutoff: Southern California Edison, which supplies power to 5 million homes and businesses, has begun preemptively shutting off power to some customers to prevent its electric system from becoming a possible source of fire ignition. About 8,600 customers fall under the current Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which the utility describes as “a tool of last resort” amid heightened fire conditions. The shutoffs stretch across Los Angeles, Riverside and Ventura counties. The utility is considering shutoffs for more than 400,000 additional residents as extreme winds gust through parts of Southern California.
Pacific Palisades has experienced fires in recent years: Home to about 27,000 residents, the picturesque seaside neighborhood sandwiched between Santa Monica and Malibu has experienced fires in recent years, the most recent being the Franklin fire that started in Malibu and reached into Pacific Palisades. Another fire hit the area in 2019, injuring at least two people.
Fire jumps across the highway and has burned 2 lifeguard towers, fire official says
The Palisades fire has jumped across the highway, where cars were packed attempting to leave earlier in the day, and has burned two lifeguard towers on the beach, Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher told CNN.
Speaking with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, she said the whipping winds through the steep canyon makes fighting the fire “very challenging” and that firefighters have to move their command post due to the encroaching fire.
“It’s moving along pretty quick,” Kelliher said, noting they are seeing sustained gusts of 30 miles per hour.
A Pacific Palisades family is considering walking to local beach to shelter from fire
Hannah Lunkewitz, 19, is about to evacuate her home in the Pacific Palisades near the Bluffs with her parents and two brothers.
Lunkewitz tells CNN they were going to drive their two cars out of the neighborhood, but their neighbors said they were all stuck in traffic.
“I’m in contact with a lot of my friends who live here who evacuated, and it’s just so full, so much traffic, and no one’s really moving,” she said.
Therefore, Lunkewitz said they may take their belongings and walk the 10 minutes to the Will Rogers State Beach instead.
Lunkewitz is home from college for the holidays, so she said most of her belongings are already packed and ready to go including her clothes, a laptop and other necessities. Her parents are packing food, water, and important valuables, according to Lunkewitz.
“I think I’m just in shock. It’s just unreal, so I don’t really know what to feel. I’m more nervous,” she said.
Her family moved from Germany to the Pacific Palisades 10 years ago, and Lunkewitz can’t remember a fire so close to her home.
“It’s just more unreal to have it in my neighborhood,” she said.
Getty Villa, museum that houses relics from Greece and Rome, remains safe from the fire
The Getty Villa, a museum that houses a variety of relics from Greece and Rome, is safe from the fire, the museum said Tuesday night.
While some of the trees and vegetation burned, the staff and “the staff and the collection remain safe,” said a statement from Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, which runs the museum.
The museum is closed to the public on Tuesdays, and access to all non-emergency staff was “swiftly closed,” the statement said.
“We are grateful for the tireless work of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and other agencies to keep the Villa and its staff safe, as well as for the on-site presence of fire trucks throughout the day,” Fleming said.
The museum is directly off the Pacific Coast Highway in the Pacific Palisades and also features a reconstruction of a Roman country house, according to its website.
President Biden, who is in Los Angeles, has been briefed on the wildfires
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the wildfires in Los Angeles and has been in contact with state and local officials, according to the White House.
Following a request from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, FEMA has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support impacted communities, according to the White House.
Biden is in Los Angeles and will depart on Wednesday morning to head back to the East Coast.
California gets grant from FEMA to help battle the Palisades fire, Newsom says
California received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Tuesday to assist in fighting the Palisades fire, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on X.
The grant will help support the local fire department in their response costs, he said.
This is one of many resources the state will from the federal government in response to the fire.
Driver says she saw “flames and ash all around” while traveling toward Sunset Boulevard
A California driver says there were “flames and ash all around” while she was traveling toward Sunset Boulevard on Tuesday amid a growing wildfire.
Kelsey Trainor shared video on X showing the flames and thick smoke during her drive.
The fire “jumped to both sides of the road,” Trainor said.
California governor thanks Biden for wildfire assistance
California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his gratitude to President Joe Biden for federal assistance as wildfires continued to rage in the Los Angeles area.
“The President of the United States said, ‘Yes, what else do you need?’ Mercy proclamation to be drafted as we speak,” Newsom said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“I just want to thank the president because that’s something I don’t take for granted. It’s something we should not take for granted at this moment in American history,” he said.
Actor James Woods shares videos of wildfire burning through his Los Angeles neighborhood
Actor James Woods shared several videos on his X account as Tuesday’s California wildfire hit close to home.
“Two houses from us…” Woods posted with a video of his neighbor’s Los Angeles home in flames.
In another post, he shared a video of his back pool deck. The sky is completely filled with smoke and flames leap up from below where the deck ends.
Woods said that he evacuated the area and is safe, while praising Los Angeles Fire and Police for “doing their jobs so well.”
In one post, Wood said that there are several elementary schools in the area and there “was an enormous community effort to evacuate the children safely.” The actor posted that they do not know if their house is still standing.
The Palisades Fire is burning around the Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in between Santa Monica and Malibu.
Some coastal residents are evacuating a wildfire for the second time in 30 days
Some of the residents evacuating the Pacific Palisades and nearby Topanga on Tuesday are fleeing their homes for the second time in the span of a month as the coveted coastal communities have become a hotbed of fire activity.
Just weeks ago, the destructive Franklin Fire ignited in neighboring Malibu, swallowing homes and vehicles and forcing residents – including Hollywood icons Dick Van Dyke and Cher – to flee their hillside properties. Evacuation warnings stretched along the Pacific Coast Highway past Topanga Canyon Boulevard, where residents are being ordered to pick up and evacuate again today.
Both fires took residents by surprise as they raced through the lush scenery, rolling hills and canyons that make the neighborhoods some of the most desirable real estate in Southern California.
Ultimately, the Franklin Fire consumed 4,000 acres and damaged or destroyed about 50 buildings, according to Cal Fire.
The idyllic campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu sheltered in place in early December as the Franklin Fire loomed near the campus. And now, the school is eyeing the Pacific Palisades blaze as smoke billows on the horizon.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the university said it was monitoring the fire but did not think it posed a threat to the campus.
What to do if you have to abandon your vehicle while evacuating, according to LAPD police chief
If evacuees have to abandon a vehicle, “get it as far off the road as you can so that emergency vehicles get by,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said Tuesday at a news briefing.
“We are asking really for the cooperation — and think a couple of steps ahead. It’s not just your vehicle there, but then others line up behind you as well as they see what you’re doing,” he said.
California governor chastises those who didn’t heed evacuation orders
California Governor Gavin Newsom chastised those who didn’t follow evacuation orders despite the harrowing conditions in the area.
Even with “many structures already destroyed,” some did not evacuate quickly enough, he said, which “is a reminder of how serious this moment is and how important it is you listen to these evacuation orders.”
“We’ve all been to memorials, I’ve never been to a memorial for a building,” he said.
More context: Many residents had a difficult time evacuating Tuesday as the fire spread rapidly in a neighborhood filled with small, curvy roads.
Video shows some streets filled with cars left behind as people evacuated as there were so many people leaving at once.
LAFD Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said evacuations were slow, but they did occur, and the department will “follow up on that if there is anything better in the future that we can communicate to the constituents.”
This post was updated with more context on the challenges on evacuating from the Palisades neighborhoods.
"This is not a drill": LA councilwoman says of wildfires
Officials called the wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday pose a “public safety emergency” as hundreds of firefighters are on the frontlines battling the flames.
For the areas under evacuation orders, Park urged residents to be “packed and ready to go and comply with all directions being given to you by law enforcement and our partners at the fire service.”
Palisades residents who have been displaced by the fire can go to an emergency shelter at Westwood Recreation Center, Park said.
“It may be some time until people are allowed to return to their homes and residences,” she continued. “Please bear with us through this period as our public safety partners work hard to protect lives and property and ensure that this area is safe before people return.”
California had pre-positioned crews on Sunday in anticipation of winds, Gov. Newsom says
California had “pre-positioned hundreds of assets and personnel on Sunday in anticipation of this wind event,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said at a news briefing Tuesday, listing a range of resources brought down from different parts of the state to get ready for the weather conditions.
“By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods,” he added.
California has a "fire year," not fire seasons, governor says in urging residents to stay alert
There is no longer a fire season in California, but instead there is a “fire year,” the state’s governor said on Tuesday.
“November, December, now January — there’s no fire season, it’s fire year. It’s year-round,” Newsom said at a news conference, recounting other major fires the state has battled this year.
Now, the Palisades Fire has spread to more than 1,200 acres, the fire department said. Newsom warned resident to continue to heed warnings and evacuations because “we’re not out of the woods.”
He looked ahead to more windy weather forecasts and cautioned the fire could continue to grow over the next hours and days.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass traveling home following diplomatic mission
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is traveling back to the city after she was away on a diplomatic mission, Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said.
LA has declared a state of emergency, city council president says
The city of Los Angeles has declared a state of emergency and will have all resources on deck, said Marqueece Harris-Dawson, president of the Los Angeles City Council.
Harris-Dawson said he is currently acting mayor of the city as Mayor Karen Bass was away on a diplomatic mission and making her way back.
Over 250 firefighters on scene of Palisades Fire
Over 250 firefighters are on scene fighting the Palisades Fire, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said Tuesday.
This includes 46 engines, three trucks, five helicopters, six paramedic ambulances among other resources, she said.
At least 30,000 residents evacuated as wildfires spread, fire chief says
Evacuation orders are in place for over 30,000 residents in the Los Angeles area after two wildfires broke out on Tuesday, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley at a news conference.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 30,000 people had been evacuated from a total of 10,000 households, 15,000 structures, businesses and other buildings, said McDonnell.
Thousands of people and households are threatened by fire, official says
Thousands of people are at risk in parts of California as the Palisades Fire continues to spread, the fire department said Tuesday.
Threatened by the fire are:
- 25,748 people
- 10,367 households
- 13,208 structures
“We feel very blessed, at this point, that there are no injuries reported,” Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said.
Some structures have been damaged, however, she added,.
"We are not out of danger," LA County fire chief says
Residents should know “we are not out of danger,” Los Angeles County Fire chief Anthony Marrone said Tuesday at a news briefing.
“The National Weather Service has predicted that the winds are going to pick up and get worse. We are going to have a more significant wind event between 10 p.m. this evening and 5 a.m. tomorrow morning,” he noted.
“So it’s incumbent that everybody have a wildfire action plan for their home if they live in a brush covered area,” he added, pointing to the LA County Fire Department website to find the “ready, set, go information.”
Initial brush fire was reported this morning north of the Palisades, fire chief says
The Los Angeles Police Department said a brush fire was first reported just north of the Palisades on Tuesday morning.
The call about the fire came in at around 10:30 a.m. local time, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said at a news conference.
“At the time of the fire, the relative humidity was 12 and the winds were approximately 25 mph with gusts up to 50 mph,” she said, adding that based on those conditions, the responding units sent more resources to respond to the brush fire.
Initially, Crowley said officials reported a 10 acre fire, but it has since grown to more than 1,200 acres.
High winds in the area are contributing to the conditions, data from the National Weather Service in Los Angeles shows. Before the news conference started, winds ripped a sign off the front of the podium.
Palisades fire is at 1,261 acres, LA fire chief says
Aerial reconnaissance shows that the Palisades fire is currently at 1,261 acres and growing, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley said Tuesday.
“The fire is being fueled by a combination of strong winds and surrounding topography, which is making it extremely challenging for our personnel that are assigned to this incident,” she added.
Pacific Palisades resident can't reach parents stuck in "The Highlands" as a brush fire grows
California resident Nick McCormack tried to evacuate his parents from their Pacific Palisades home after a brush fire surrounded the area but was unable to do so, he told CNN.
According to McCormack, his 63-year-old mother and 65-year-old stepfather tried to evacuate the area around 1:30 p.m. but were unable to find a safe way out.
McCormack said he tried to drive up the mountain to assist his parents but was also unable to find a safe road and is instead stuck watching the fire from the bottom of the mountain.
McCormack’s parents have lived in the Pacific Palisades most of their lives and moved to The Highlands area of the neighborhood about five years ago, he said.
Video that McCormack posted on social media shows large smoke plumes at the top of the mountain.
Pacific Palisades resident "trapped" and unable to evacuate
Joe Goldman is trapped in his Pacific Palisades home as a fire continues to grow, he told CNN.
“There’s one road in and one road out of the Pacific Palisades Highlands, but there’s fire surrounding it so there’s no way to get out. All the cars are stuck,” Goldman said. “We went to the Highlands where there is a fire road, but that road was also engulfed in flames, and it looked like houses up there were about to catch fire.”
Goldman told CNN he tried to evacuate as soon as he was given the order to do so but ultimately decided to go back home after being unable to find a safe road out.
“We’re staying home for now because it’s the safest thing we can do. I also had to go check on my friend’s dog and another friend’s elderly father who are also up here.”
Goldman said he’s been monitoring the fire for the past couple of hours after he was informed that strong winds were supposed to impact the area.
Videos Goldman shared with CNN show Goldman attempting to find a safe street to drive on but being met with fire instead.
Goldman said he’s currently sheltering with three other people.
Palisades Fire burning nearly 4 football fields a minute amid strong winds
The Palisades Fire has burned over 1,260 acres in a little over 3 hours, or nearly 4 football fields of land every minute on average since it first began Tuesday morning, according to data from CalFire.
That’s about a football field every 15 seconds.
North to northeast winds around 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph are currently being observed near the base of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, but stronger wind gusts to 50 mph have been occurring in the higher elevations where the fire is burning, according to data from the National Weather Service in Los Angeles.
Wind gusts along the ridge tops are expected to increase this evening and overnight up to 60 to 70 mph at times. Widespread gusts of 30 to 35 mph are likely again on Wednesday with potentially a few gusts to 65 mph, as another day of level 3 of 3 ‘extremely critical fire weather’ is forecast for LA and Ventura Counties.
Wind gusts of nearly 60 mph are already ongoing in parts of the San Monica Mountains, about 10 miles west of the Palisades Fire.
Pacific Palisades, the neighborhood at the center of another wildfire
The Los Angeles coastal community is once again at the center of another large fire, following the Franklin Fire last December.
Pacific Palisades, a picturesque seaside neighborhood sandwiched between Santa Monica and Malibu, is home to about 27,000 residents, according to city councilmember Traci Park’s website.
The area is known for its natural greenery and hiking trails along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, and “is one of Los Angeles’ safest and most affluent communities,” the website says.
The area has experienced fires in recent years, the most recent being the Franklin Fire that started in Malibu and reached into Pacific Palisades. Another fire hit the area in 2019, injuring at least two people.
Southern California utility proactively cuts off power to more than 8,000 customers due to fire risk
Southern California Edison, which supplies power to 5 million homes and businesses, has begun preemptively shutting off power to some customers in order to prevent its electric system from becoming a possible source of fire ignition.
About 8,600 customers fall under the current Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which the utility describes as “a tool of last resort” amid heightened fire conditions. The shutoffs stretch across Los Angeles, Riverside and Ventura Counties.
The utility is considering shutoffs for more than 400,000 additional residents as extreme winds gust through parts of Southern California.
“We consider PSPS when strong winds, very dry plants and grass and low humidity are forecast,” Souther California Edison said. “Under these conditions, a fire could spread rapidly. PSPS reduces the risk that winds could cause flying debris to hit our lines or damage our equipment and cause a fire.”
Palisades Fire now over 700 acres
The Palisades Fire has now reached over 700 acres, the City of Los Angeles said in an update.
Pacific Palisades resident and family run to safety amid intense California fire
Rachel Silver, a resident in Pacific Palisades, said she and her family had to evacuate at a moment’s notice, all while the nearby palm trees burned around them.
She said she’s “never been through this” after they left their car at the bottom of Palisades Drive to get away from the fast-moving fire.
She said while she’s worried about her home, all she cared about was “getting the dogs out” and that her “kids were safe.”
Some LA County students are being relocated due to fire risk
Children in at least four schools in the Pacific Palisades area are being relocated as a wildfire explodes in the hillside enclave, the Los Angeles United School District announced on X.
Palisades Charter Elementary School, Marquez Charter Elementary School, Paul Revere Charter Middle School and Topanga Elementary Charter will move their students to other school campuses, the district said.
Pepperdine University in Malibu, which was threatened by the Franklin Fire just last month, said it is monitoring the Palisades fire but is currently not at risk. As of about 1:30 p.m. local time, the fire was about nine miles from the campus, it said.
Fire officials plan to give update on Palisades Fire at 3:30 pm PT
Officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department plan to give an update on the Palisades Fire at 3:30 pm PT, they said in a post on X.
The news conference will be held at Will Rogers State Beach, which is in nearby Santa Monica.
The headline and post were updated with the timing for the news conference.
At least one structure on fire in Pacific Palisades neighborhood, KABC video shows
At least one structure is on fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, with flames overtaking the roof, video from CNN affiliate KABC shows.
KABC video shows smoke filling the neighborhood, making it difficult to see if more structures are on fire.
A Los Angeles Fire Department official previously told KABC it did not have confirmation of structures on fires.
Palisades Fire now at least 300 acres
The Palisades Fire is now at least 300 acres and continues to grow, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in an update.
Evacuation orders remain within the previously designated area and Westwood Recreation Center is open for evacuees.
Evacuating “could be the difference in someone’s life or death,” LA Fire Department spokesperson says
Los Angeles emergency crews are urgently evacuating residents in large areas of the Pacific Palisades as furious winds drive a quickly-growing wildfire in the area.
People should avoid the Pacific Coast Highway along the Los Angeles coastline unless they are actively evacuating, Steward said. The road should be kept as open as possible for evacuees and emergency crews.
“This could be the difference in someone’s life or death if we can get people safely evacuated,” Stewart told KABC.
Though the fire department prepositioned resources in anticipation of Monday’s severe fire risk, battling the flames will still be a difficult undertaking.
“This is going to be a challenging fire because this type of wind is going to push the ember casts easily a mile down and can start spot fires,” Stewart said.
Traffic gridlocked trying to leave Pacific Palisades with some leaving cars, KABC video shows
Traffic is gridlocked as people try and flee the Pacific Palisades neighborhood as a large fire encroaches on residential structures, video from CNN affiliate KABC shows.
Multiple videos from KABC shows traffic backed up along the Pacific Coast Highway as well as in more inland neighborhoods.
Multiple people told KABC they left their cars trying to get out of the area.
What we know about today's windstorm
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles used the most dire language possible to characterize the windstorm and fire threats. The “life-threatening” windstorm “will likely be the most destructive” since a 2011 event “that did extensive damage to Pasadena and nearby foothills of the San Gabriel Valley,” the weather service warned.
The 2011 windstorm downed hundreds of trees and knocked out power for days because the seasonally strong Santa Ana winds dipped into more populous, lower elevation areas typically sheltered from them.
That will be the case again with this event. Many areas of Los Angeles and eastern Ventura counties, including portions of the Los Angeles basin and San Gabriel Valley, are at risk of damaging hurricane-force wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph Tuesday afternoon into early Wednesday. Gusts between 80 and 100 mph are likely in higher elevation areas.
Winds will “accelerate to dangerous levels” starting Tuesday afternoon, according to the NWS. High wind warnings are in effect through at least Wednesday for much of Southern California. The strong winds will likely result in widespread downed trees as well as widespread power outages.
Winds will also be strong enough to bring down power lines, which could spark fires. Any fire starts during this time could quickly turn into an out-of-control blaze.
Power shutoffs are possible this week as Southern California’s energy providers try to prevent damaged infrastructure from starting blazes. More than 400,000 of Southern California Edison’s 5 million customers may have their power shut off in the coming days, according to the utility’s website.
Extreme dryness during what is typically the wettest time of the year is also helping to drive the fire threat.
Evacuation warnings issued as Palisades Fire grows rapidly in Los Angeles County
Fire officials are warning residents to be prepared to evacuate as the fast-growing Palisades Fire burns toward structures and other fires break out amid a violent windstorm in Southern California.
The Palisades Fire was first spotted just after 10 a.m. local time in the mountains north of Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood on the west side of the city and has since spread to 200 acres, according to CalFire.
The fire could soon threaten nearby structures on Palisades Drive, causing the Los Angeles Fire Department to warn residents there to “get set for a potential wildfire evacuation.” Evacuation warnings have been issued for four zones near the fire, according to fire officials.
Getting resources to any new fires quickly is paramount to contain the blazes as winds roar over the region.
“If we don’t catch these within the first 20 minutes, it can go hundreds of acres very quickly and can lead to significant evacuations,” Capt. Erik Scott, the LAFD’s public information officer told CNN affiliate KABC Tuesday.
Another wildfire broke out near Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills around the same time on Tuesday morning.
North to northeast winds of 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph are currently being observed near the base of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Stronger wind gusts are likely occurring in the higher elevations where the fire is burning.
Winds will continue to increase Tuesday into Wednesday across Southern California, including where the Palisades Fire is burning. Wind gusts near the fire could reach 45 mph during the day Tuesday and hit 70 mph at times overnight. Widespread gusts of 30 to 35 mph are likely Wednesday with potentially a few gusts to 65 mph.
Wind gusts elsewhere in Southern California could reach 80 mph over the next 24 hours with some gusts up to 100 mph possible in the mountains.
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