Over 37,000 residents, including numerous celebrities and industry leaders, remain under evacuation orders as a quad of fires wreak havoc across the Los Angeles area this week, killing at least five people as the blazes continue to be aided by intense winds that have reached nearly 100 mph. Such high winds are hindering firefighters’ efforts, and the fires are seeing “no percentage of containment,” instead ripping across thousands of acres of L.A. County and destroying an estimated 3,000 structures and counting, the county fire department said on Wednesday, starkly indicating that the worst is still yet to come.
On Wednesday afternoon, an expanded evacuation order was issued for Santa Monica, including all areas north of Montana Avenue from the beach to 11th Street. Residents in this area were told that they must leave immediately and the area was closed to public access. The city’s evacuation warning remains for all additional areas north of Montana Avenue and was expanded to all areas north of Wilshire Boulevard and west of 10th Street. Area residents there were told to gather essentials and prepare to leave if fleeing the fire is necessary.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Tuesday night, telling Southern California residents to “stay vigilant, take all necessary precautions and follow local emergency guidance.” As the largest of the four blazes tore through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, the coastal hillside area with several celebrity residences, Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods were among those forced to flee; other celebrities with homes in the Palisades Fire’s path include Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.
The Palisades Fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday near Piedra Morada Drive and traffic jams were quickly plaguing residents attempting to flee as local hills began to glow orange. The fire had jumped across Palisades Drive and on Tuesday afternoon was burning in both directions, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE, which created a 3-D map of the Palisades Fire indicating its perimeter and the mandatory evacuation zones.
At a Wednesday morning press conference, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told reporters that the Palisades Fire had destroyed 5,000 acres of land and 2,000 structures. By that point, there had been no reported fatalities but a high number of significant injuries to residents who chose not to heed warnings and did not evacuate. Some of those injured were first responders attempting to contain the fire and rescue those trapped as the inferno quickly overtook the area. Marrone said the cause of the fire is still unknown and under investigation. Winds are expected to reach up to 60 mph in the area through Thursday.
The Eaton Fire, the county’s second massive blaze to ignite this week, in a day destroyed over 2,000 acres and led to two reported civilian fatalities plus several significant injuries, Marrone said; he added that over 1,000 structures have been destroyed in the blaze as of Wednesday morning. Later on Wednesday, officials said it had exploded to 10,000 acres. The cause of the Eaton Fire is also unknown and under investigation, Marrone said, adding that evacuation orders are in place for 32,500 residents and an estimated 13,186 local structures remain at risk. Meanwhile, another 38,000 residents are currently under evacuation warnings.
“All residents of L.A. County are in danger [in this] widespread disaster,” Marone said, adding that firefighters will remain on the frontline until they reach full containment.
Los Angeles Fire Department chief Robert Luna spoke on the evacuation orders, telling residents directly that their lives depend on them acting on the warnings issued by authorities.
“You need to be prepared. If you are in a warning area, make sure you have your essentials: your important paperwork, your medications; things that you can take — your phone charger — to survive for at least a week. But if you are told to evacuate and given an order, there is nothing worth your life. Please listen to the police and the fire officials out there and be prepared to evacuate,” Luna said on Wednesday.
Luna also noted that the fires have led to 10 percent of schools in Los Angeles County being shut down.
On Wednesday, L.A. fire official Kristin Crowley noted that aircraft were grounded overnight and remained so as of Wednesday morning’s press conference.
“We are absolutely not out of danger yet,” she said.
The Hurst Fire, which exploded on Tuesday in the Sylmar area in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of the city of Los Angeles, has now destroyed over 500 acres and led to more than 3,000 residents evacuating the area, officials also said early Wednesday. It’s spreading rapidly under high winds and creating dangerous conditions for nearby communities, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
“The combination of dry fuels, strong winds and low humidity is contributing to aggressive fire behavior, making containment efforts extremely challenging,” CAL FIRE added.
The smaller Woodley Fire started on Wednesday at 6:15 a.m. on North Woodley Avenue just west of the 405 Freeway and north of the 101 Freeway in the Sepulveda Basin. It was initially reported at 75 acres, but according to CAL FIRE, it was revised down to 30 acres. Firefighters are working diligently to contain the fire and protect structures in the affected area.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden, called the fires “astounding” during a briefing in Santa Monica, where he flew on Monday to declare two monuments. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump managed to lay the blame for the fires on Newsom (who he dubbed “Newscum”) because, as he noted of his frequent liberal foe on his Truth Social platform, the governor did not sign a piece of legislation.
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” Trump wrote. “He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!’
Newsom’s team was quick to correct the record, saying Trump’s comments about a declaration are untrue.
“There is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” Newsom’s office said on X.com.
This story was first published at 11:26 a.m.
