Palisades Fire Rapidly Grows As 30,000 Los Angeles Residents Ordered To Evacuate (Photos)
The Pacific Palisades, one of Los Angeles’ affluent residential neighborhoods, caught fire Tuesday morning in what has quickly expanded to a 1,200-acre blaze, marking southern California’s first large wildfire threat this week as much of the region is under a red flag warning due to strong winds and low humidity.
Los Angeles International Airport, which is about 19 miles south of the Pacific Palisades, has not experienced significant flight delays or cancellations as of Tuesday afternoon, according to FlightAware.
The National Weather Service’s fire outlook warns of elevated to critical fire weather Tuesday across much of southern California. The range of the critical fire weather alert will expand by 278 square miles Wednesday to a total of 5,035 square miles in the region. The NWS also issued an extreme fire weather alert—its highest designation for fire potential—from Wednesday to Thursday for a 1,463-square mile stretch of land that includes areas such as Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Altadena, Moorpark and Santa Paula.
The appearance of weather conditions suggestive of La Niña, a climate phenomenon linked to drier conditions and drought in southern parts of the U.S., have likely contributed to prime fire conditions across southern California. Los Angeles in particular has seen an underwhelming amount of rain in the last eight months alongside a dry winter. The last time the city recorded over a tenth of an inch of rainfall was last May, according to the Los Angeles Times, contributing to drought. The mix of dry conditions and strong winds are the main catalysts of Tuesday's fires and also contributed to another fire in the Pacific Palisades in 2021 that burned more than 1,200 acres.
With negligible rain in 8 months, Southern California swings toward drought (LA Times)
Residents flee on foot as Palisades Fire torches hillside homes (LAist)
30,000 flee Palisades Fire as flames quickly spread, high winds slam Southern California
Thousands of people fled their homes as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades quickly spread to 1,260 acres Tuesday, a blaze that authorities said could grow further as even stronger winds are expected through the night.
Click here for an evacuation map.
Winds in the area were blowing 40 mph when the wildfire sparked Tuesday morning before quickly exploding in size, spreading to 200 acres within an hour. The Los Angeles Fire Department first reported at 10:30 a.m. that the fire had broke out near 1190 North Piedra Morada Dr. Just hours later, around 3 p.m., fire authorities estimated it had reached 1,262 acres.
About 30,000 people have been evacuated while an estimated 10,367 houses remain threatened by the quickly moving flames, fire department and law enforcement officials said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Santa Ana winds are expected to strengthen later in the evening, peaking from 10 p.m. Tuesday through 5 a.m. Wednesday, potentially complicating firefighting efforts and carrying flames even further.
"We're not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination," Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Tuesday afternoon, saying that the state dispatched 110 fire engines to Southern California in anticipation of the high winds.
Newsom said he saw homes burning but authorities have not yet released an exact estimate for the damage.
Forecasters say gusts could reach up to 100 miles per hour in some parts of the region — likely the worst conditions seen since a windstorm in 2011 that left behind a $40 million in damage in Los Angeles County.
Mandatory evacuation orders were first announced around noon along with some evacuation warnings. The Pacific Coast Highway was completely shut down near Topanga Canyon Boulevard, according to the California Department of Transportation, as some drivers abandoned their cars on Sunset Boulevard to flee the flames growing closer.
The Los Angeles Fire Department first reported the blaze at 10:30 a.m., saying it sparked near 1190 North Piedra Morada Dr. and was estimated to be 20 acres at that time. About an hour later, around 11:30 a.m., the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection estimated the wildfire was 200 acres. Within hours, around 3 p.m., Cal Fire said it stood at 1,262 acres.
With the flames moving quickly Tuesday, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, some drivers abandoned their cars on Sunset near where the main LA roadway meets the PCH. Some said firefighters told them to get out and flee on foot. About 30 vehicles were left abandoned, according to the LA Fire Department.
Meanwhile, thousands of residents escaped their homes as firefighters continued battling the Pacific Palisades blaze.
Krishan Chaudry, a resident in the LA coastal community, said he could see flames burning from his backyard, which he said appeared suddenly. Thick, billowing plumes of black smoke were seen rising over the PCH as flames tore through hillsides.
"This happened just spur of the moment," Chaudry said. "We were just looking at the smoke, and then all of a sudden, we saw fire everywhere."
The Westwood Recreation Center has opened as an evacuation center and overnight shelter for evacuees and small animals, according to fire authorities.
The latest information from Cal Fire on evacuations and resources for those affected can be found here.
Many parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including the area where the wildfire started, are facing a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red flag warning this week. It's a relatively rare advisory the National Weather Service issues in more extreme cases, and it's the same warning that was issued just before the Mountain Fire tore through nearly 20,000 acres in neighboring Ventura County last year.
Forecasters have warned of a "life-threatening" windstorm that is likely the most powerful one to hit the region since 2011, which left behind millions of dollars in damage and led to 400,000 people losing power.
This week, Cal Fire has been preparing additional resources as much of the region braces for particularly strong Santa Ana winds, which can fuel and swiftly spread powerful wildfires. Gusts could up to around 60 to 70 mph in many areas and up to 100 mph in a few parts of Southern California, according to forecasters.
"This will likely be a life-threatening, destructive, and widespread windstorm," the National Weather Service said Monday, noting that the "Particularly Dangerous Situation" warning will be in effect from noon Tuesday through 4 p.m. Wednesday for areas of LA including Malibu.
In December, the coastal community faced the Franklin Fire, which destroyed more than two dozen structures, including a number of homes, as it burned through over 4,000 acres.
Several schools in the Pacific Palisades area are temporarily relocating students and staff, according to Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson.
The campuses affected include Palisades Elementary School and Marquez Elementary School, which are relocating to Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet, while Paul Revere Middle School is being relocated to University High School Charter. Meanwhile, Corpus Christi School is evacuating as the brush fire continues to spread.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
