Firefighters are currently battling wildfires in Los Angeles during the first of what are expected to be two to three days of Santa Ana winds that could reach 100 kilometers per hour. The Palisades Fire is threatening homes in parts of the northern LA metro area, but all of Southern California is on high alert as forecasters warn dry conditions combined with high winds “could be historic.”
The Palisades Fire is currently listed at more than 1,260 acres without containment and has caused mandatory evacuation orders in parts of northern LA in the Pacific Palisades area down the Pacific Coast Highway. The California Department of Transportation has 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 broadcast live by KCAL on YouTube. Officials report that there are 250 firefighters at the scene, including 46 engines, three trucks, five helicopters, four brush, two water tenders, six emergency ambulances, one rapid response vehicle, and several police and fire investigators.
As officials at the press conference noted, the worst winds are expected between 10 p.m. local time Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday. Genasys has an up-to-date map of current out orders, which include all of Pacific Palisades at the time of writing, but those can grow quickly.
Drivers abandoned cars on the road, the LA Fire Department brought a tractor to clear the cars. People in the area who spoke to KTLA reported that the internet is not working and others are worried because they are still stuck with no way to escape from their homes.
One reporter with KTLA covering the Palisades Fire could even be seen on the YouTube news channel running away from the flames as they got dangerously close.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SteYSEU4MdI
The power company in the area, Southern California Edison, cut power to about 15,000 homes and warned that power could be cut to thousands more during this strong wind event to protect the electrical infrastructure that causes many fires. At least another 420,000 homes could see power outages.
Wind gusts reached 70 miles per hour in Southern California at the time of this writing, but the worst winds are expected Tuesday night into Wednesday. Forecasters issued a warning of a “particularly dangerous situation,” which the New York Times noted is typically seen every few years. But this is the third warning this season alone.
#PalisadesFire Many homes are lost, scary pic.twitter.com/Qyw3N9Bj9a
– firevalleyphoto (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025
#PalisadesFire pic.twitter.com/2z1SInQIXa
– firevalleyphoto (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025
Photos and videos shared on social media are horrifying and show scenes, which KTLA has at times described as a “war zone.”
These are the conditions of Paradise California in the Palisades. We were in the neighborhood as the flames broke out. A lot of fear on the roads, and very bad winds will hit the Palisades Fire tonight pic.twitter.com/NY4joNow4I
— Jonathan Vigliotti 🐋 (@JonVigliotti) January 7, 2025
If you are 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 photos submitted by users, but also includes important news information from official sources, including exit orders. If you’re in Southern California, you should have it on your phone.
