Firefighters are currently battling at least two wildfires in Los Angeles during the first of what are expected to be two to three days of Santa Ana winds that can reach up to 100 miles per hour. The fires, known as the Palisades Fire and Sunset Fire, threaten homes in the northern part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, but all of Southern California is on high alert as forecasters warn that dry conditions combined with extremely strong winds are potentially “historical.” .”
The Palisades Fire currently covers more than 1,260 acres without containment and has prompted mandatory evacuation orders in parts of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of northern Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway. The California Department of Transportation closed the southbound lanes of the Pacific Coast Highway in the area, according to the New York Times.
The Los Angeles Fire Department gave an update at 3:30 p.m. local time that was broadcast live on KCAL on YouTube. Officials report there are 250 firefighters on scene, including 46 engines, three trucks, five helicopters, four brush patrols, two tankers, six paramedic ambulances, one rapid response vehicle and several fire officers and investigators.
As officials noted at the press conference, the worst winds are expected between 10 p.m. local time on Tuesday and 5 a.m. on Wednesday. Genasys has the latest map of current evacuation orders, which include all of Pacific Palisades as of this writing, but could expand quickly.
Drivers have abandoned their cars on the road and the Los Angeles Fire Department brought in an excavator to clear the vehicles. People in the area who spoke to KTLA reported internet outages and some are worried they are trapped without any viable way to escape their homes.
Even a KTLA reporter covering the Palisades fire could be seen on the media outlet’s page. YouTube creek fleeing the flames when they arrived dangerously close.
The Sunset Fire is only 1.5 acres in size, but it is not yet contained. The area’s power company, Southern California Edison, has shut off power to about 8,000 homes and has warned that power could be cut off to thousands more during this high wind event to protect against electrical infrastructure causing more fires.
Wind gusts have reached 70 miles per hour in Southern California as of this writing, but the worst of the wind is expected overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Meteorologists issued a “particularly dangerous situation” warning, which the New York Times Notes are usually something you only see every few years. But this is the third warning for this season alone.
#PalisadesFuego More homes are lost, terrible. pic.twitter.com/Qyw3N9Bj9a
-firevalleyphoto (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025
#PalisadesFuego pic.twitter.com/2z1SInQIXa
-firevalleyphoto (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025
The photos and videos shared on social media are alarming and show the scenes, which KTLA has sometimes described as a “war zone.”
These are the conditions of Paradise California in Palisades. We were in a neighborhood that caught fire. Mass panic in the streets and the worst of the wind will hit the Palisades fire tonight pic.twitter.com/NY4joNow4I
-Jonathan Vigliotti (@JonVigliotti) January 7, 2025
If you’re in the area, we recommend downloading an app called Watch Duty, which allows users to monitor wildfires in their area and activate alerts for the latest developments. The app includes photos submitted by users, but also gathers vital breaking news information from official sources, including evacuation orders. If you’re in Southern California, you should have it on your phone.