Firefighters are currently battling at least two wildfires in Los Angeles during the first of what is expected to be two or three days of Santa Ana winds that could reach 100 mph. The fires, known as the Palisades Fire and Sunset Fire, are threatening homes in northern parts of the Los Angeles metro area, but all of Southern California is on high alert as forecasters warn that dry conditions accompanied by extremely high winds could be “historic.” “.
The Palisades Fire is currently listed at more than 1,260 acres with no containment, and has prompted mandatory evacuation orders in parts of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood north of Los Angeles all the way 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 provided an update at 3:30 PM local time which was broadcast live by KCAL on YouTube. Officials reported that there were 250 firefighters on scene, including 46 engines, three trucks, five helicopters, four forest patrollers, two water tenders, six paramedic ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, and a number of officers and fire 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. Genasis has Latest map Of the current evacuation orders, which include all of the Pacific Palisades area at the time of this writing, but those could expand quickly.
Drivers left their cars on the road, and the Los Angeles Fire Department brought in a bulldozer to evacuate the vehicles. People in the area who spoke to KTLA reported internet outages, and some are concerned they are stuck without any effective way to escape their homes.
A KTLA reporter can be seen covering the Palisades Fire on media outlets YouTube A stream escaped from the flames as they arrived Dangerously close.
The Sunset Fire is listed at only 1.5 acres but is not yet contained. The area’s power company, Southern California Edison, cut power to about 8,000 homes and warned that thousands more could be without power during this high wind event in order to protect against electrical infrastructure that could spark more fires.
Winds reached 70 mph in Southern California at the time of this writing, but winds are expected to be worse between Tuesday night and Wednesday. Meteorologists issued a warning of a “particularly dangerous situation.” New York Times Notes are often something that is only seen every few years. But this is the third warning of the season alone.
#PalisadesFire Losing more homes, it’s terrible pic.twitter.com/Qyw3N9Bj9a
– Firevalley Photo (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025
#PalisadesFire pic.twitter.com/2z1SInQIXa
– Firevalley Photo (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025
The photos and videos shared on social media are disturbing and show scenes that KTLA has sometimes described as a “war zone.”
These are California paradise conditions in the Palisades. We were in a neighborhood where there was a fire. Mass panic in the streets, and the worst of the winds will hit the Palisades Fire tonight pic.twitter.com/NY4joNow4I
– Jonathan Vigliotti 🐋 (@JonVigliotti) January 7, 2025
If you’re in the area, we highly recommend downloading an app called Watch Duty, which allows users to monitor wildfires in their area and turn on alerts to learn about the latest developments. The app includes user-submitted photos, but also collects vital breaking news information from official sources, including evacuation orders. If you are in Southern California, you should have this app on your phone.
https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2025/01/palisades-fire-los-angeles.jpg
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