A wildfire swept through Los Angeles County from Tuesday to Wednesday (January 7th to 8th), forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes, including many Hollywood celebrities. Some fled by car while others abandoned their vehicles to escape the flames. The wildfire engulfed multiple homes, scorched large swaths of hillsides, and left many injured.
Prior to the outbreak of the fire, the National Weather Service had issued the highest level of extreme fire danger warning for most areas of Los Angeles County, from Tuesday to Thursday. The Weather Service stated that due to low humidity, dry vegetation, and prolonged lack of rainfall, these conditions led to “about the worst fire weather conditions you can have.”
Additionally, there were two other major wildfires rapidly spreading inland in California, with officials expressing a pessimistic outlook on the situation.
In the early hours of Tuesday in Los Angeles, firefighters battled throughout the night to extinguish multiple wildfires in the forests. Here is a summary of ongoing events:
Just after 10:00 a.m. local time, a fire in a backyard due to strong winds spread rapidly from 20 acres to over 200 acres within approximately 20 minutes, leading to the Palisades fire that has now consumed 2,900 acres.
Subsequently, about 49,000 people were informed to evacuate from the affected areas, with over 1,400 firefighters dispatched to contain the fires.
However, the current containment rate remains at 0% as authorities stated it is “not possible” to control the fires. The latest update from the Los Angeles Fire Department indicated that the situation remains “extremely dangerous,” with wind conditions continuing to worsen.
There were two other wildfires spreading in the vicinity, adding to the chaos.
Within the past hour or so, the California Fire Department reported a fourth, smaller-scale fire called the “Tyler fire,” currently covering an estimated 15 acres (much smaller compared to the other fires).
Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson mentioned that firefighters were unable to use aircraft for aerial water drops to extinguish the fires.
He pointed out that even for the fire-prone Los Angeles area, this wildfire sweeping through Southern California is “the most severe we have ever seen.”
Wildfires occur annually in the region. “Having three major fires simultaneously, and not even being able to utilize aircraft for water drops, is unprecedented,” he remarked.
Intense strong winds greatly hindered the firefighters’ around-the-clock efforts to contain the blazes.
CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam forecasted that gusts of wind in Los Angeles on Wednesday could reach up to 54 miles per hour, with even higher gusts of up to 60 miles per hour in the Pacific Palisades area.
According to BBC reports, Dr. Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist from the Los Angeles National Weather Service, explained how to address the wildfire threat.
He said, “This is one of the most serious wildfire outbreaks in history.”
The strong winds exacerbated the wildfire situation. Cohen stated, “This is the most destructive storm we’ve seen in decades.”
“We’re talking about winds of 80-100 miles per hour spreading across the entire Los Angeles area, creating a disaster,” he said.
“I implore everyone, if you receive an evacuation order, take it seriously, as lives are at stake,” he added.
A resident of Los Angeles described the strong winds that sparked the wildfires as something they had never witnessed before.
“The winds are so strong, I can hear the windows of my house shaking,” said Alex Pearlman to the BBC, as her mother evacuated from their home in nearby Malibu.
Pearlman expressed fears as she observed a faint “orange haze” in the sky from her neighborhood in Santa Monica, making her anxious about what might come next.
“It’s not that distant, and that’s what’s truly frightening,” she said. “In California, I’m awake at 1 a.m., mainly because I’m afraid to sleep.”
In the Pacific Palisades area between Santa Monica and Malibu, wildfires have consumed nearly 3,000 acres of land and destroyed multiple buildings. This region is home to many stars from the film and music industries.
Hollywood actor James Woods mentioned on the social media platform X that he successfully evacuated his house in Pacific Palisades but added, “I currently have no idea if our home is still standing.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass indicated that the predicted Santa Ana Winds are expected to worsen the situation.
Due to the large number of evacuees causing traffic congestion, some people were forced to abandon their vehicles and flee on foot. Flames licked at the roadside, illuminating Los Angeles and its suburbs in fiery glow, with thick smoke billowing.
Cindy Festa, a resident of Palisades, told Reuters that while evacuating, the flames were almost reaching the vehicles.
“On Palisades Drive, people abandoned their cars. The whole hillside was on fire, palm trees—everything was incinerated,” Festa said.
A firefighter informed local TV station KTLA that several individuals sustained injuries in the Palisades fire, with burns to the face and hands reported. A female firefighter was injured on the head.
Actor Steve Guttenberg shared with KTLA that his friend faced difficulties evacuating due to others abandoning their vehicles on the road.
“People need to come together; don’t worry about personal belongings, just get out,” Guttenberg said. “Take your loved ones and evacuate quickly.”
By early Wednesday morning, firefighters had yet to gain control over the blazes, prompting California Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency.
The strong winds forced President Biden to alter his travel plans, with Air Force One ceasing to fly from Los Angeles. Initially planning a short flight to Coachella Valley inland for an event commemorating the addition of two national monuments in California, Biden said in a statement, “I have provided all necessary federal assistance to help extinguish this terrible Pacific Palisades fire.”
He added that federal funding had been approved to compensate California for firefighting costs.
Governor Newsom stated that personnel, fire engines, and aircraft had been deployed to other areas in Southern California due to the expanded wildfire risk. California had secured federal funding to control all three wildfires.
Another fire, the “Eaton Fire,” erupted in Altadena, located about 30 miles inland, expanding from 200 acres to 1,000 acres within a few hours, as reported by Cal Fire.
As per CBS News, around 100 residents of a nursing home in Pasadena were evacuated.
The third fire, the “Hurst Fire,” occurred in Sylmar, San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles, resulting in evacuations of nearby residents. According to Cal Fire data, the Hurst fire increased from an initial 100 acres to 500 acres.
By Tuesday evening, over 220,000 households and businesses in Los Angeles County experienced power outages, based on data from PowerOutage.us.
(This article referenced reports from Reuters)