Three wildfires surrounding Los Angeles are still uncontained and will likely expand due to strong winds, authorities said, as tens of thousands of residents evacuated impacted areas, including the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood.
A person shields from intense heat as they hose down a neighbour’s rooftop in Altadena, California, on Wednesday as the Eaton Fire continues to grow.
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Key Takeaways
- The Palisades Fire—named after the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood—started at about 10:30 a.m. local time Tuesday and spread to 2,921 acres in Los Angeles County by 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
- A second fire near Pasadena, the Eaton Fire, spread to more than 10,000 acres Wednesday after starting just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, while the Hurst Fire further north spread to 500 acres in just over six hours, according to Cal Fire.
- At least two people died in the Eaton Fire, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, who said there have been a “number of significant injuries” caused by the wildfires as of Wednesday, specifically for a “high number” of people who chose not to evacuate.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency, warned of a “highly dangerous windstorm” expected Wednesday that would “[create] extreme fire risk,” suggesting “we’re not out of the woods.”
- The National Weather Service also cautioned warm temperatures, strong winds and low humidity in Southern California throughout Wednesday could lead to fires spreading uncontrollably.
A firefighter works to extinguish a burning home as the Eaton Fire rips through Sierra Madre, California, on Tuesday.
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A firefighter is silhouetted in front of a burning structure on Tuesday as the Palisades Fire sweeps through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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A brush fire burns near a neighborhood in the Pacific Palisades.
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The Palisades Fire burns north of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
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A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire as it damages a property in the Pacific Palisades.
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A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades.
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The Palisades Fire burns near homes amid a powerful windstorm on Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, California.
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A firefighter battles flames from the Palisades Fire on Wednesday morning.
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Los Angeles County firefighters pull a hose in front of a burning home affected by the Eaton Fire early Tuesday.
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A home engulfed in flames during the Eaton Fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County, California on Wednesday.
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Wind pushes embers into a home as the Eaton Fire moves through Altadena, California, on Wednesday.
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Flames overtake an intersection in Palisades, California, on Tuesday.
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A Firefighter fights the flames from the Palisades Fire burning the Theatre Palisade on Wednesday.
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A view of a neighborhood in Palisades, California, on Wednesday as the Palisades Fire blazes nearby.
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The Palisades Fire seen burning along the Pacific Coast Highway on Wednesday.
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Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a car and homes on Wednesday during a powerful windstorm in the Pacific Palisades.
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Firefighters battle wind and fire as homes go up in flames in Malibu on Wednesday.
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A person turns on a garden hose in an effort to save a home from catching fire during the Eaton Fire on Wednesday.
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People attempt to save an Altadena home from catching fire during the Eaton Fire early Wednesday.
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A person walks past a burning Altadena home during the Eaton Fire on Wednesday.
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Big Number
Nearly 400,000. That’s the estimated number of customers without power in California as of around 2:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us. More than 1,400 firefighting personnel have been deployed to combat the “unprecedented” fires, Newsom said.
Key Background
The trio of wildfires in the Los Angeles area come as forecasters warned about weather conditions caused by La Niña, a climate phenomenon linked to drier conditions and drought in the southern U.S., likely causing recent dry weather in Los Angeles. The city last recorded more than one-tenth of an inch of rainfall in May, according to the Los Angeles Times, as the area experienced drought. Another fire in the Pacific Palisades came in 2021, burning more than 1,200 acres.
This story was originally published on forbes.com.
