Los Angeles, surrounded by fire: three huge fires leave five dead and 155,000 under evacuation orders
Tuesday night gave no respite, no respite, in Los Angeles County. Nor the day: this Wednesday the devastating fires and winds of more than 160 kilometers per hour have been taking away everything that has been put in their path. Cars, bushes, houses and entire neighborhoods have disappeared, engulfed by the flames that have already burned more than 10,000 hectares. Three areas are the most worrying: the first, where it all started on Tuesday, in Pacific Palisades, to the southwest, between the Pacific coast and the mountains; the second, that of the fire of Eatonwhich affects two towns northeast of the city, Pasadena and its twin from the north, Altadena, which has left five deaths so far; and the third, the one declared later, that of the fire of Hurst in the Sylmar area. There are more than 1,000 buildings destroyed and about 155,000 residents are under evacuation orders. The mayor of the Californian city, Karen Bass, has declared a state of emergency, and President Joe Biden has issued a declaration of “serious catastrophe” for the State and will send federal support to assist in containing the flames and caring for those affected.
Emergency services have ordered the evacuation of more than 37,000 residents of the Pacific Palisades area, where some 15,800 acres, more than 6,400 hectares, have burned. There the first outbreak began around 10:30 in the morning. It spread both north and south through the Topanga Canyon, an area that quickly becomes a mountain from the beach. The authorities have asked the inhabitants to flee as quickly as possible; The traffic jams have been immense, causing some of them to abandon their cars in the middle of the roads and start running. In this area, the fire continued to the east and touched the popular town of Santa Monica, until Tuesday afternoon when orders were given to evacuate there as well. Many of the area’s schools, those that have survived, will be closed at least this Wednesday.
This is where the situation is most uncontrollable. As explained by Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone, the Pacific Palisades fire is “0% controlled.” As the local news reported, firefighters are unable to extinguish house fires, and are simply trying to prevent them from jumping from one to another so that they do not affect other neighborhoods. The strong winds have also prevented helicopters and seaplanes from flying to spray the water from above on several occasions during the day. Furthermore, as reported by the newspaper Los Angeles Timesthis area is having problems because the hydrants are running out of water. The water department is working to restore supply. According to those familiar with the area and the system, it is a common problem in the city, both due to the lack of updating of the structures and because they are very outdated.
Pacific Palisades is also known for being the home of many well-known names in showbiz. It is a picturesque area, with beautiful views, between the mountains and the sea, less touristy than Malibu and Santa Monica and with access to nature and the beach. Hence some of them have been evacuated, such as actors Ben Affleck and Mark Hamill; JJ Reddick, the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers; actor Eugene Levy (who has told People how he was trapped by smoke in the Temescal Canyon area); the actress Jamie Lee Curtis (“My family is safe,” she stated) or the also interpreter James Wood, who has been telling on X (the old Twitter) how he left with nothing and that he does not know if his house has survived. In total, 37,000 residents have already been evacuated in the Palisades, Calabasas and Los Angeles areas and 15,000 structures are at risk.
The second fire in severity and scope is that of Pasadena and Altadena, two towns northeast of the city of Los Angeles and surrounded, as is usual throughout the county, by abundant vegetation and mountains. The fire Eatonas it was originally called, closes both, with evacuation orders that also affect the Arcadia and Sierra Madre areas. 32,000 residents have already been evacuated, while 13,000 structures are at risk. The area of picturesque Pasadena, one of the county’s jewels for its museums and architecture, has already seen more than 4,290 hectares (10,600 acres) burn. It is here where there are two deaths, as confirmed by the authorities in a press conference held this morning.
The third of the most serious fires is the Hurst fire, which especially affects the city of Sylmar, and which has already burned 500 acres (more than 200 hectares), according to the county fire department. Hurst is located to the north, in San Fernando County, and all firefighters in the area are trying to extinguish the flames.
All of this means that roads have been closed throughout Southern California, and the authorities have warned not to leave unless necessary. Among them, the famous Pacific Coast Highway, the highway that connects the entire Pacific coast, has been partially closed. Also pieces of Interstate 10, 210 and I-5. Universities like Pepperdine, in the Palisades, have suspended classes. The announcement of the nominations for the actors’ union awards, which were announced this Wednesday, has also been cancelled.
The cause of the fires is unknown at the moment, but it was a succession of events that triggered them. December and January should be some of the wettest months in Los Angeles County, with about 10 million residents, but barely a drop has fallen. Neither have the previous months, which has led to extreme dryness in the abundant vegetation of Los Angeles and the cities around it. Furthermore, since Tuesday morning the winds began to be extreme, gradually exceeding 60, 80, 100 and even 160 kilometers per hour. Despite the proximity to the Pacific coast, the relative humidity is also very low, which has caused each small wick to light much more.
