As winds have gotten stronger throughout Southern California, firefighters are rushing to contain palisades fire hillsides in Los Angeles.
As a strong windstorm struck Southern California on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, firefighters rushed to contain a rapidly spreading wildfire in the hillsides of Los Angeles, which were home to several celebrity residences. The fire spread for miles as many residents fled on foot to safety as roads were blocked and they abandoned their cars.
According to Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire is threatening over 13,000 buildings and over 26,000 people in over 10,000 homes. Although officials could not provide a precise estimate, California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that several structures had already been damaged.
The worst of the winds are predicted to occur between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday, so people in Southern California were cautioned by Newsom not to believe they were safe.
Related: What Caused The Recent Fire In Pacific Palisades?
The windstorm was expected to last for days, causing isolated gusts of up to 100 mph (160 kph) in foothills and mountains, even in regions that haven't had significant precipitation in months, according to forecasters. To lessen the possibility of equipment starting fires, some 500,000 utility customers faced the possibility of having their electricity turned off.
A fire quickly engulfed about 2 square miles (just over 5 square kilometers) of property in the Pacific Palisades district of western Los Angeles, creating a striking smoke plume that could be seen across the city. The flames were spotted by locals at Venice Beach, which is around 6 miles (10 kilometers) away. It was one of several fires in the region.
To facilitate evacuation operations, all non-essential traffic was prohibited from using portions of Interstate 10 and the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway. Other routes, however, were closed. To avoid danger, some residents sprang from their cars and waited to be picked up.
The sole route into and out of her area was totally closed, according to resident Kelsey Trainor. Fires blazed on both sides of the road, and ash rained everywhere.
"We noticed that the fire had spread from one side of the road to the other," Trainor remarked. People were sobbing and yelling as they got out of the cars with their infants, pets, and luggage. For an hour, the route was just closed, completely blocked.
One home's roof and chimney were on fire, while another house's walls were on fire, according to an Associated Press reporter. About 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown Los Angeles, the neighborhood that surrounds Malibu consists of narrow lanes that snake down to beaches along the Pacific Ocean and hillside neighborhoods with densely populated homes tucked away against the Santa Monica Mountains.
Exploring the Palisades Fire: Causes and Consequences
Will Adams, a longtime Palisades resident, said he was in town when the fires broke out and rushed right away to pick up his two children from the school at St. Matthews Parish, which is now in the path of the flames.
When embers flew into his wife's car, she was at home and traveling down the major escape route for those living in the upper portion of the community.
Adams stated, "She got out of her car and left it running." Until it was safe to do so, she and a large number of other locals walked down toward the ocean.
In his 56 years as a resident, Adams claimed to have never witnessed a fire this low into the community.
It is insane; it can be found in every corner of the Palisades. Adams said, "One house is safe, while the other is on fire."
As houses began to burn, he saw the sky become brown and then black. He claimed that he thought the loud popping and bangs he heard were "like small explosions," and that he thought they were the transformers blowing up on the electrical poles.
On a hill close to his house, actor James Woods shared video of flames blazing past palm palms and into vegetation. In the manicured yards between the houses, the tall orange flames raged.
"I'm standing in my driveway, preparing to evacuate," Woods stated in the brief X video.
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Palisades Fire
Pacific Palisades resident and actor Steve Guttenberg asked those who left their automobiles unattended to leave their keys behind so that they might be relocated to make room for fire engines.
KTLA was informed by Guttenberg that this was not a parking lot. "My friends who live up there are unable to flee. I'm hauling automobiles up there as far as I can walk.
President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit inland Riverside County, California, to announce the creation of two new national monuments in the state, but the unpredictable weather forced him to postpone his trip. Instead, Biden will make his speech in Los Angeles.
The wind event, which was predicted to peak early Wednesday, might be the greatest Santa Ana windstorm to hit Ventura and Los Angeles counties in over ten years, according to the National Weather Service.
In response to the incident, the Los Angeles Unified School District said that it was temporarily moving students from three schools in the Pacific Palisades region.
Because of the flames and strong winds, Amazon and MGM Studios decided to postpone the premiere of Jennifer Lopez's latest movie, "Unstoppable."
According to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of California, Los Angeles, the winds will serve as a "atmospheric blow-dryer" for vegetation, increasing the danger of fire for a considerable amount of time.
After a season as wet as the last one, we haven't really seen one as dry as this one," Swain stated on Monday.
Southern California, where there hasn't been much rain this season, has had warmer-than-normal temperatures due to recent dry winds, particularly the infamous Santa Anas.
Since early May, Southern California has not received more than 0.1 inches (0.25 centimeters) of precipitation. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that a large portion of the region is under moderate drought conditions. Several rainy storms have occurred up north in the meanwhile.
The charred remnants of last month's wind-driven Franklin Fire, which damaged or destroyed 48 buildings, largely residences, in and around Malibu, are examples of areas where gusts might produce intense fire conditions.
Gianna Eleanor
As winds have gotten stronger throughout Southern California, firefighters are rushing to contain palisades fire hillsides in Los Angeles.
As a strong windstorm struck Southern California on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, firefighters rushed to contain a rapidly spreading wildfire in the hillsides of Los Angeles, which were home to several celebrity residences. The fire spread for miles as many residents fled on foot to safety as roads were blocked and they abandoned their cars.
According to Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire is threatening over 13,000 buildings and over 26,000 people in over 10,000 homes. Although officials could not provide a precise estimate, California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that several structures had already been damaged.
The worst of the winds are predicted to occur between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday, so people in Southern California were cautioned by Newsom not to believe they were safe.
Related: What Caused The Recent Fire In Pacific Palisades?
The windstorm was expected to last for days, causing isolated gusts of up to 100 mph (160 kph) in foothills and mountains, even in regions that haven't had significant precipitation in months, according to forecasters. To lessen the possibility of equipment starting fires, some 500,000 utility customers faced the possibility of having their electricity turned off.
A fire quickly engulfed about 2 square miles (just over 5 square kilometers) of property in the Pacific Palisades district of western Los Angeles, creating a striking smoke plume that could be seen across the city. The flames were spotted by locals at Venice Beach, which is around 6 miles (10 kilometers) away. It was one of several fires in the region.
To facilitate evacuation operations, all non-essential traffic was prohibited from using portions of Interstate 10 and the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway. Other routes, however, were closed. To avoid danger, some residents sprang from their cars and waited to be picked up.
The sole route into and out of her area was totally closed, according to resident Kelsey Trainor. Fires blazed on both sides of the road, and ash rained everywhere.
"We noticed that the fire had spread from one side of the road to the other," Trainor remarked. People were sobbing and yelling as they got out of the cars with their infants, pets, and luggage. For an hour, the route was just closed, completely blocked.
One home's roof and chimney were on fire, while another house's walls were on fire, according to an Associated Press reporter. About 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of downtown Los Angeles, the neighborhood that surrounds Malibu consists of narrow lanes that snake down to beaches along the Pacific Ocean and hillside neighborhoods with densely populated homes tucked away against the Santa Monica Mountains.
Exploring the Palisades Fire: Causes and Consequences
Will Adams, a longtime Palisades resident, said he was in town when the fires broke out and rushed right away to pick up his two children from the school at St. Matthews Parish, which is now in the path of the flames.
When embers flew into his wife's car, she was at home and traveling down the major escape route for those living in the upper portion of the community.
Adams stated, "She got out of her car and left it running." Until it was safe to do so, she and a large number of other locals walked down toward the ocean.
In his 56 years as a resident, Adams claimed to have never witnessed a fire this low into the community.
It is insane; it can be found in every corner of the Palisades. Adams said, "One house is safe, while the other is on fire."
As houses began to burn, he saw the sky become brown and then black. He claimed that he thought the loud popping and bangs he heard were "like small explosions," and that he thought they were the transformers blowing up on the electrical poles.
On a hill close to his house, actor James Woods shared video of flames blazing past palm palms and into vegetation. In the manicured yards between the houses, the tall orange flames raged.
"I'm standing in my driveway, preparing to evacuate," Woods stated in the brief X video.
Unraveling the Mysteries of the Palisades Fire
Pacific Palisades resident and actor Steve Guttenberg asked those who left their automobiles unattended to leave their keys behind so that they might be relocated to make room for fire engines.
KTLA was informed by Guttenberg that this was not a parking lot. "My friends who live up there are unable to flee. I'm hauling automobiles up there as far as I can walk.
President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit inland Riverside County, California, to announce the creation of two new national monuments in the state, but the unpredictable weather forced him to postpone his trip. Instead, Biden will make his speech in Los Angeles.
The wind event, which was predicted to peak early Wednesday, might be the greatest Santa Ana windstorm to hit Ventura and Los Angeles counties in over ten years, according to the National Weather Service.
In response to the incident, the Los Angeles Unified School District said that it was temporarily moving students from three schools in the Pacific Palisades region.
Because of the flames and strong winds, Amazon and MGM Studios decided to postpone the premiere of Jennifer Lopez's latest movie, "Unstoppable."
According to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of California, Los Angeles, the winds will serve as a "atmospheric blow-dryer" for vegetation, increasing the danger of fire for a considerable amount of time.
After a season as wet as the last one, we haven't really seen one as dry as this one," Swain stated on Monday.
Southern California, where there hasn't been much rain this season, has had warmer-than-normal temperatures due to recent dry winds, particularly the infamous Santa Anas.
Since early May, Southern California has not received more than 0.1 inches (0.25 centimeters) of precipitation. The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that a large portion of the region is under moderate drought conditions. Several rainy storms have occurred up north in the meanwhile.
The charred remnants of last month's wind-driven Franklin Fire, which damaged or destroyed 48 buildings, largely residences, in and around Malibu, are examples of areas where gusts might produce intense fire conditions.