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Thousands of Californians Evacuate as Massive Palisades Fire Intensifies Due to High Winds


Homes along the coast were observed engulfed in flames in Pacific Palisades as the fire persists.

A rapidly spreading wildfire ignited in the coastal city of Pacific Palisades, situated approximately 20 miles west of Los Angeles, as Santa Ana winds swept through the area on January 7, resulting in significant property damage.

The Palisades Fire has destroyed an undetermined number of homes, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate.

As of 3 p.m., the fire has expanded to approximately 2 square miles (1,300 acres) and continues to spread throughout the residential neighborhoods.

Numerous homes were visible in flames, with reports indicating that police and emergency responders were actively rescuing individuals from burning structures, although no injuries were reported by the afternoon.

Traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway came to a near standstill as residents attempted to escape. Many chose to abandon their vehicles and walk to safety.

Los Angeles County officials shut down the westbound lanes of the Santa Monica 10 Freeway at Lincoln Boulevard, a crucial thoroughfare in the region, shortly before 2 p.m.

The northbound lanes of the Pacific Coast Highway were also closed in order to assist in evacuating residents from the expanding fire.

The flames also incinerated the Los Angeles Fire Department Station 23 located at Sunset Boulevard and Los Liones Drive on Tuesday afternoon.

Fire crews were responding to numerous reports of structures ablaze throughout the affected area.

Authorities have mandated evacuations in specific sections of Topanga State Park that extend to the Pacific Coast Highway, covering a majority of Pacific Palisades, which houses around 20,000 residents.

The Palisades Fire burns near homes amid a powerful windstorm in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025. The fast-moving wildfire is threatening homes in the coastal neighborhood amid intense Santa Ana winds and dry conditions in Southern California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The Palisades Fire burns near homes amid a powerful windstorm in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025. The fast-moving wildfire is threatening homes in the coastal neighborhood amid intense Santa Ana winds and dry conditions in Southern California. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Nearby Malibu was also under evacuation watch on Tuesday.

The Westwood Recreation Center located at 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd. was made available for evacuees, allowing small pets and overnight stays.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department first responded to a brush fire in Pacific Palisades around 10:30 a.m., southeast of Palisades Drive, which posed a threat to nearby homes.

By approximately 11:30 a.m., homes were ablaze in Pacific Palisades, as indicated by local reports.

Actor James Woods shared a video on X at about 11:45 a.m., showing him preparing to evacuate from his driveway as flames engulfed his neighbor’s house. Subsequent posts depicted flames inching closer to Woods’ own residence.

“We were fortunate that LA fire and police [departments] performed exceptionally well,” Woods wrote on X. “We are safe and evacuated. Our neighborhood has numerous elementary schools, and an incredible community effort was made to ensure the children were evacuated safely.”

Throughout the day, fire crews tackled several smaller brush fires across the region. Air tankers and helicopters were deployed to drop water on the blaze as firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded promptly.

The Angeles National Forest also contributed aircraft and personnel to assist with combating the fire.

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued a warning concerning the potentially lethal and destructive windstorm expected to last until Wednesday morning, alongside red flag warnings signifying high fire risk. These fire warnings were predicted to remain in effect until Thursday night.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to comply with evacuation mandates, describing the situation as “dangerous.”

“In anticipation of strong winds, LAFD has deployed strike teams in and around wildfire-prone areas,” the mayor shared on social media. “Firefighters actively engaged in tackling the [Palisades Fire] are receiving support from regional partners.”

Widespread north and northeast wind gusts of up to 80 mph were anticipated for Los Angeles and Ventura counties on Tuesday, with isolated gusts potentially reaching 100 mph in mountainous and foothill areas.

Firefighters work to extinguish flames engulfing a home as a brush fire rages in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025. A fast-moving brushfire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and sparked evacuations Tuesday as "life threatening" winds whipped the region. (David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)

Firefighters work to extinguish flames engulfing a home as a brush fire rages in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025. A fast-moving brushfire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and sparked evacuations Tuesday as “life threatening” winds whipped the region.David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images

“This could prove to be the most intense event since the windstorm of Nov. 30/Dec. 2011,” the Los Angeles weather service office noted on X Monday. “Pasadena experienced considerable impacts then, and we are sensing a similar weather trend this time. However, we could see widespread effects beyond just Pasadena.”

The city of Los Angeles initiated red flag parking restrictions beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday, forbidding parking of vehicles in fire-prone zones.

Fire commanders identified several regions where parked cars could hinder evacuations for residents and obstruct fire crews during brush fires.

“We anticipate this to be the most substantial wind event this season, and we urge everyone to prepare accordingly,” the Los Angeles Fire Department emphasized in a social media post made Monday afternoon.

In response to the severe windstorm, all schools in Malibu were closed on Tuesday.

The Southern California coast was expected to experience wind speeds of up to 30 knots, with gusts reaching up to 50 knots from the northeast later that day.

Los Angeles County lifeguards advised boaters to adjust their plans and remain in port to stay safe from hazardous conditions.

Thousands of residents experienced power outages Tuesday morning, either due to power utility shutdowns for safety or due to the high winds.

Southern California Edison (SCE), serving 5 million customers in the area, reported that nearly 9,000 customers were without power by 3:30 p.m., particularly impacting the northern coastline of Malibu.

Of these outages, 5,000 occurred in Los Angeles County and nearly 3,000 in Ventura County.

The utility was contemplating more than 413,000 intentional utility shutdowns Tuesday afternoon. California’s utilities are permitted to cut power during dangerous weather conditions to mitigate wildfire risk.

San Diego Gas and Electric Company also indicated that they might need to shut off power for about 118,000 customers to prevent wildfire hazards stemming from downed power lines.

City News Service contributed to this report.





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