The Palisades Fire burns near homes during a severe storm on January 7, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, California. Fast-moving wildfires are threatening homes along the coast amid strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions in Southern California.
Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images
A fast-moving wildfire ripped through an upscale area of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying many buildings and causing traffic congestion and prompting the evacuation of more than 30,000 people, while a second blaze about 30 miles inland grew by more than 100,000 people. times.
At least 2,921 acres (1,182 hectares) have been burned by the Palisade Fire in the Pacific Palisades area between the coastal towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, officials said, after warning of strong winds from a prolonged dry spell Will pose extreme fire hazard.
A fire official told local TV station KTLA that multiple people were injured, including some with burns to their faces and hands. A female firefighter suffered a head injury, the official added.
A second fire, known as the Eaton Fire, broke out about 30 miles (50 kilometers) inland near Pasadena and doubled in size to 400 acres (162 kilometers) in a matter of hours, according to Cal Fire. hectares).
Nearly 100 residents of a nursing home in Pasadena were evacuated, CBS News reported. Video showed elderly residents, many in wheelchairs and gurneys, huddled in smoke-filled, windswept parking lots as fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene.
A third fire, known as the Hurst Fire, broke out in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles, prompting the evacuation of some nearby residents, fire officials said.
fence fire
Witnesses said dozens of homes caught fire and flames nearly scorched their cars as people fled the hills of Topanga Canyon, where the fire spread to the Pacific Ocean.
Local media reported that the fire had spread north, destroying homes near Malibu.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told a news conference earlier that more than 25,000 people in 10,000 homes were threatened.
Firefighters flew in to scoop water from the sea and poured it over nearby flames. Television images showed flames engulfing homes and bulldozers clearing abandoned vehicles from roads so emergency vehicles could pass.
The Getty Villa museum said the fire scorched some trees at the Getty Villa, which houses priceless art, but that the collection remained safe, in large part because of precautions taken to trim shrubbery around the building. .
Firefighters work at the scene of a brush fire caused by Santa Ana wind gusts in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California on January 7, 2025.
Qian Weizhong | Visual CG | Visual China Group | Getty Images
Since there is only one main road from the canyon to the coast and only one coastal road to safety, traffic was paralyzed and people fled on foot.
Pacific Palisades resident Cindy Festa said the fire was “very close to the car” as she evacuated the canyon, demonstrating with her thumb and index finger.
“People left their cars on Palisades Boulevard. The hillside was burned. The palm trees — everything is back to normal,” Festa said from the car.
Ahead of the fires, the National Weather Service had issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions across much of Los Angeles County from Tuesday to Thursday, with wind gusts expected to be 50 to 80 mph (80 to 130 kph).
The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office said on the 10th that due to the lack of rainfall, low humidity and dry vegetation, “the situation is almost the worst in terms of fire weather.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, adding that the state deployed personnel, fire trucks and aircraft elsewhere in Southern California due to fire danger in the broader area.
Strong winds have altered President Joe Biden’s travel plans, grounding Air Force One in Los Angeles. He had planned to take a short flight to the inland Coachella Valley to attend a ceremony in California to create two new national monuments, but the event was rescheduled to a later date at the White House.
“I have made available any federal assistance necessary to help fight the horrific Pacific Palisades Fire,” Biden said in a statement. Biden said a federal grant has been approved to help reimburse California fires Response fee.
Pacific Palisades is the hometown of many Hollywood stars. Actor James Woods said on X that he was able to evacuate, but added: “I don’t know if our home is still intact right now.”
Actor Steve Guttenberg told KTLA television that his friends were unable to evacuate because others had abandoned their cars on the road.
“It’s important for everyone to come together and don’t worry about your personal property. Get out,” Guttenberg said. “Take your loved ones out.”
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