Palisades Fire forces evacuations, destroys homes in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES - The governor of California declared a state of emergency as the Palisades Fire destroyed homes and families evacuated the area.
"This is a highly dangerous windstorm that’s creating extreme fire risk – and we’re not out of the woods. We’re already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes. Our deepest thanks go to our expert firefighters and first responders who jumped quickly into fighting this dangerous fire. If you’re in Southern California, please pay attention to weather reports and follow any guidance from emergency officials," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a news release.
How big is the fire?
The Palisades Fire exploded to 2,921 acres as of 6:39 p.m. PT. The blaze sent up a huge plume of smoke visible across the city. Residents in Venice Beach, some 6 miles away, reported seeing the flames.
Firefighters run as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Fire crews responded to the fire at around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.
The fire is 0% contained, according to officials.
Homes on fire
Several structures are threatened by the blaze, according to FOX 11.
Video from the scene showed at least two homes on fire in the area and at least a dozen homes are in danger of becoming consumed as well.
Road closures have been ordered along the Pacific Coast Highway and traffic has caused heavy gridlock.
Palisades Fire: Drivers abandon cars amid wildfire, causing heavy gridlock
Due to heavy gridlock, people were seen abandoning their vehicles on the street and walking. Fire officials said about 100 vehicles were abandoned, creating even more traffic and road closures. (Credit: FOX 11 Los Angeles/KTTV)
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Residents trapped
FOX 11’s Hailey Winslow spoke by phone to Tricia Cosentino, who attempted to flee along Palisades Drive but was forced to turn around by the choking smoke, flames, and heavy traffic.
"I put the animals in the car, put my son in the car, even picked up a hitchhiker. We were surrounded by flames on all sides. There was smoke everywhere and I made a U-turn and came back up the hill because I was afraid to drive through it. So we're stuck here," she recalled.
"The canyon itself has a little bit of unstable land. So the rocks that are normally behind barriers, there's all sorts of rocks that have now crumbled onto the road itself. So it's even a little bit hard to drive. There is smoldering. There's ash. Literally just within a foot or two of the road itself, the flames were coming all the way down. I have never been so terrified in my entire life."
When asked why she didn’t leave earlier, Cosentino said previous close calls made her think the family was safe.
"We've always been able to leave. We thought it would be OK. I mean, from my patio right now, it looks like we're in a war zone," she explained. "It is terrifying. I'm trying to not break down so that my kid thinks that everything is OK, but it does not feel OK."
Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
About 30,000 residents are under a mandatory evacuation, FOX 11 reported.
Wind-driven blaze
A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisafes, California on Jan. 7, 2025. (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The National Weather Service said what could be the strongest Santa Ana windstorm in more than a decade began Tuesday across Los Angeles and Ventura counties and was forecast to peak in the early hours of Wednesday, when gusts could reach 80 mph (129 kph).
The weather service warned of possible downed power lines and knocked-over big rigs, trailers, and motorhomes. Strong offshore gusts will also bring dangerous conditions off the coasts of Orange and Los Angeles counties, including Catalina Island, and potential delays and turbulence could arise at local airports.
The winds will act as an "atmospheric blow-dryer" for vegetation, bringing a long period of fire risk that could extend into the more populated lower hills and valleys, according to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the University of California, Los Angeles and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
The Palisades Fire burns near homes amid a powerful windstorm on January 7, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Power cut-offs
About 71,272 utility customers in Southern California had their power shut off to reduce the risk of equipment sparking blaze. A half a million customers total were at risk of losing power preemptively.
In recent years, California utilities have routinely de-energized electrical lines as a precaution against weather conditions that might damage equipment and spark a fire.