Wildfire sparks panicked evacuations in Los Angeles suburb
By AFP
January 7, 2025
A brush fire burns near homes in upscale Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025 - Copyright AFP David Swanson
Huw GRIFFITH
A fast-moving wildfire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and sparked panic, with thousands ordered to evacuate Tuesday as “life threatening” winds whipped the region.
Frightened residents abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the 770-acre (310-hectare) blaze engulfing an area crammed with multi-million dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Several buildings appeared to have burned, with footage from the scene showing flames roaring up the hillsides and palm trees ablaze.
Actor Steve Guttenberg — star of 1984 comedy “Police Academy” — said he was trying to help to get friends out of the area, but the roads were jammed.
“If you leave your car… leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there. It’s really, really important,” he told a reporter on broadcaster KTLA.
Firefighters used bulldozers to push abandoned cars out of the way and to forge a path.
Dozens of vehicles — including expensive models like BMWs and Mercedes — were shoved to one side on live television, many crumpling as they moved, with alarms going off.
– ‘Everyone panicked’ –
The fire erupted mid-morning and swelled quickly, with dozens of firefighters deployed to battle the blaze, including from the air.
Evacuation warnings were in place for a wide area, with the fire twisting and turning in the wind.
One resident, who gave his name as Gary, told KTLA hot ashes were raining down on his community of Sea Ridge.
“I’ve seen this on TV before, and I never thought wind could affect fire like this,” he said.
“There was smoke in the distance, and I was assured that it would not come over the hill… Five minutes later, it’s coming down the hill. Everyone panicked, that’s when everybody made a run and went to go and pack their houses up.”
Pacific Palisades resident Andrew Hires told AFP he got a text alerting him to the fire as his child was at the dentist about to have a tooth extracted.
“We pulled off the mask and ran to car,” he said.
“We got stuck for 20 minutes at corner of Palisades Drive and Sunset where kids were getting evacuated from Calvary School.”
– ‘Destructive, widespread’ –
The fire came as the area was being hit by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in a decade.
Gusts of up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) an hour were expected in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the National Weather Service said.
“HEADS UP!!! A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm is expected Tue afternoon-Weds morning across much of Ventura/LA,” the NWS said.
Red flag warnings of critical fire danger — the highest level of alert — were expected to remain in place until Thursday evening.
“This looks pretty, pretty concerning,” said meteorologist Daniel Swain.
“It’s going to be, I think, a rough night. And what’s going on now is only just the beginning, because weather conditions are going to get a lot worse.”
US President Joe Biden was in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where he had been expected to announce the creation of two new national monuments.
But the announcement was cancelled in the strong winds.
Hollywood events including a red-carpet premiere of Jennifer Lopez’s new film “Unstoppable” were also called off.
Wildfires are an expected part of life in the US West and play a vital role in the natural cycle.
But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns.
Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, which has left the countryside primed to burn.
“The fire risk… is far higher given this hydro climate whiplash from very wet conditions the past two years, lots of abundant growth of what are known as herbaceous fuels, grass and brush, followed by what is now the driest start to the rainy season on record,” said Swain.
Residents Flee As Fierce Santa Ana Winds Fuel Palisades Wildfire Near Los Angeles
At a Glance
- The Palisades Fire broke out Tuesday morning near Los Angeles.
- Evacuations were underway and at least one shelter was open.
- The fire was fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds.
Firefighters continued to battle a fast-growing wildfire that broke out Tuesday in dangerously high Santa Ana winds and dry conditions in the Los Angeles area. Thousands have been forced to evacuate their homes as the fire grew to more than 4.5 square miles.
“This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight,” David Ortiz of the Los Angeles Fire Department told KTLA-TV.
“This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight,” David Ortiz of the Los Angeles Fire Department told KTLA-TV.
The fire has been dubbed The Palisades Fire.
Nursing Home Evacuated
Staff wheeled residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the road, weaving through traffic as the Pasadena Park Healthcare & Wellness Center, a nursing home in Pasadena Park, was evacuated.
According to NBC News, embers were flying in the air and at least one patient was having trouble breathing as employees and rescue workers were trying to empty a parking lot of cars so that there was somewhere for the residents to wait. Buses, ambulances and construction vans then transported residents in bedclothes from the parking lot to safety, The AP reported.
Abandoned Vehicles, Burning Homes
California Gov. Gavin Newsom toured the area Tuesday afternoon and said he saw "not a few — many structures already destroyed." By then the fire had burned nearly two square miles and was still growing.
People desperate to evacuate left their cars and set out on foot, according to KNBC-TV. A truck sitting in traffic reportedly burst into flames.
“We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road,” evacuee Kelsey Trainor, told the AP. “People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming. The road was just blocked, like full-on blocked for an hour.”
Ash fell around the scene.
Earlier, local news reports said multiple homes were on fire, and at least one person posted on social media that they were trapped on the road and unable to evacuate.
Video shared from an account listed as belonging to actor James Woods showed what appeared to be at least one structure burning in his neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for areas including Merrimac Road, Topanga Canyon Boulevard and neighborhoods near Pacific Coast Highway. At least three schools were also evacuated.
The Highest Wind Gusts In Southern California
These were among the highest recorded as of Tuesday afternoon:
- 60 to 71 mph, Santa Anas (Orange Co.)
- 72 mph, Malibu Hills west of Pacific Palisades/Topanga Canyon
- 70 to 75 mph, below Cajon Pass (I-15/Inland Empire)
- 78 mph, Whiteman Airport (Los Angeles)
- 79 mph, north of Pasadena (La Cañada Flintridge/Altadena)
- 80 mph, Fremont Canyon (Orange County)
- 86 mph, San Gabriels (Magic Mountain)
How Long Will The Danger Last?
“These strong winds will last through Wednesday afternoon or evening," weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said Tuesday.
The most dangerous hours were expected to be overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Winds during that time could gust up to 100 mph.
“This is likely to be the strongest Santa Ana this season, so far, and possibly in the last few years," Erdman said.
The National Weather Service noted extreme fire conditions and red flag warnings for much of Los Angeles and eastern Ventura counties from Tuesday into Thursday. Red flag warnings, which indicate the potential for dangerous fire weather, are also in place for inland Orange County, the Santa Ana mountains, the Inland Empire and the San Bernardino mountain foothills.Winds this high carry a number of risks, most notably wildfires and structural damage.
"This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation - in other words, this is about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather," the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned in a social media post ahead of the winds.
What Are Santa Ana Winds?
Santa Ana winds happen in very specific weather conditions. The highest wind speeds are driven both by a strong pressure difference between the Great Basin and coast, as well as strong winds thousands of feet above the ground pushing down to the surface.
Southern California's mountains serve as a funnel for these north-to-northeast winds, forcing them to squeeze and accelerate through passes and canyons. Santa Ana winds are named after one of those canyons.
Power Outage Updates
Southern California Edison, one of the region's largest utility companies, warned customers of potential public safety power shutoffs. That's when electricity is turned off to prevent downed power lines from sparking wildfires.
“The grid is built to withstand strong winds,” Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for the utility, told The Associated Press. “The issue here is the possibility of debris becoming airborne and hitting wires ... or a tree coming down.”
MORE ON WEATHER.COM
-Here’s How To Protect Yourself From Wildfire Smoke
-What Wildfire Smoke Does To Your Body
-Weird Ways Wildfires Are Started
Weather.com staff writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
Firefighters battle a house fire off Bollinger Drive in Pacific Palisades after the Palisades fire exploded.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a “life-threatening, destructive” windstorm hit Southern California, fanning the blaze seen for miles while roads were clogged with cars as residents tried to flee.
Forecasters warned the worst may be yet to come with the windstorm predicted to last for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph in mountains and foothills.
Already the winds were toppling trees, creating dangerous surf and bringing extreme wildfire risk to areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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A house burns in the Marquez Knolls neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
People evacuate near Sunset Boulevard and Palisades Drive.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
A firefighting plane makes a drop on the Palisades fire.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Palisades resident Maggie Stokes keeps an eye on the fire from the California Incline in Santa Monica.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)
Joy Schroeder helps fight the fire at her brother’s house in the Marquez Knolls neighborhood.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
A car is surrounded by the flames of the Pacific Palisades fire along Sunset Blvd.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
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Smoke rises over a ridgeline in Pacific Palisades.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
A firefighting plane makes a drop on a burning home.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
The Palisades fire quickly consumed more than 1,200 acres, pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
A woman keeps a watchful eye on the Pacific Palisades fire that burns several miles behind the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica.
Palisades fire: Worst is ‘yet to come’ as winds gain speed, ground aircraft
‘Run for your lives’: Motorists trying to flee Pacific Palisades face flames, chaos, danger
Palisades residents face traffic gridlock, panic as fire blazes through community: ‘It looks grim’Jan. 7, 2025
Wally Skalij
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Wally Skalij joined the Los Angeles Times as a staff photographer in 1997.
Brian van der Brug
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Brian van der Brug has been a staff photojournalist at the Los Angeles Times since 1997.
Genaro Molina
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Genaro Molina is an award-winning staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times. He has worked in journalism for more than 35 years starting at the San Francisco Chronicle. Molina has photographed the life and death of Pope John Paul II, the tragedy of AIDS in Africa, the impact of Hurricane Katrina, and Cuba after Castro. His work has appeared in nine books and his photographs have been exhibited extensively including at the Smithsonian Institute and the Annenberg Space for Photography.
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