Wildfires, evacuations across Los Angeles, California: What we know | News about the climate crisis
A state of emergency was declared in California and five people were reported dead in wildfires that broke out on Tuesday split across metropolitan Los Angeles, initiation of evacuations and power failure.
The most populous state in the United States, California, has been frequently affected by wildfires, and the fire season is increasingly considered year-round. But the current wildfires are, by some estimates, some of the worst to ever hit the Los Angeles area.
Here’s what we know about the fires, their impact and the latest news on the ground.
Where and when did the wildfires start in Los Angeles?
At 10:30 a.m. (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday, the first wildfire started in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
This rich neighborhoodwhich lies between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, about 32 kilometers (20 mi) west of downtown Los Angeles.
What areas of LA were affected by the wildfires and how many areas were burned?
Nearly 6,410 hectares (15,832 acres) of land had burned in the Pacific Palisades fire by Wednesday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.
Around 6 p.m. (0200 GMT) on Tuesday, a second blaze, called the Eaton Fire, broke out some 50 km (30 miles) inland near Pasadena. On Wednesday, it grew to 4,290 hectares (10,600 acres).
A third fire, called the Hurst Fire, broke out Tuesday in Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles. Then on Wednesday, three more broke out: the Lidia Fire, the Woodley Fire and the Olivas Fire, all burning in areas near the city.
Together, the fires covered more than 10,938 hectares (27,028 acres).
How many people died in the wildfires in LA?
On Wednesday morning, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said two deaths were reported in the Eaton fire, as well as “a large number of significant injuries to residents” in the Palisades fire.
A fire official told local television station KTLA that one female firefighter suffered a head injury in the Palisades fire.
By late Wednesday night, the death toll from the fires had risen to five.
Are wildfires spreading further in LA?
Yes, it seems so. American media reported that the fires had already spread to the north, burning houses near Malibu.
Cal Fire said a new blaze, dubbed the Woodley Fire, broke out Wednesday in the Sepulveda Basin area north of Los Angeles. It was followed by the Olivas Fire in Ventura County and the Lidia Fire near the Angeles National Forest.
Malibu began issuing evacuation orders Tuesday afternoon, and Santa Monica began issuing evacuation orders Tuesday evening.
Are any buildings damaged?
About 1,000 buildings were destroyed in Pacific Palisades, Marrone told reporters Wednesday.
The Palisades fire also burned some trees and vegetation on the grounds of the Getty Villa museum, one of the richest art museums in the world, which houses artifacts from ancient Greece and Rome.
In a post on social media platform X, the museum said no buildings had caught fire and “staff and collection are safe”.
The Eaton fire engulfed a McDonald’s restaurant and the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, but Melissa Levy, the temple’s executive director, told The New York Times that temple staff safely evacuated with their holy books, including Torahs.
American actor James Woods reported damage to his home in Pacific Palisades.
All smoke detectors go off in our house and are transmitted to our iPhones.
I couldn’t believe our beautiful little home in the hills lasted this long. It feels like losing a loved one.
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 8, 2025
How do Santa Ana winds contribute to California wildfires?
Officials have not confirmed the cause of these fires. However, winter wildfires are not uncommon in California due to the region’s Santa Ana winds that dry out vegetation and make it more susceptible to fire.
These dry, warm and strong winds are common in Southern California during the colder months due to conditions created by changes in atmospheric pressure and cooler temperatures in the season.
Santa Ana winds occur when high pressure over the Great Basin, a large, dry region in the western US, forces air to flow toward the coast. As air sinks through mountain ranges and valleys, it loses moisture, compresses and accelerates, becoming warmer and faster.
The geography of the region, including the orientation of the mountains and valleys, directs the winds towards southern California and the Pacific coast.
Experts say that this winter has been particularly dangerous.
“We really haven’t seen a season as dry as this one after a season that was as wet as the last one – all that extra abundant growth of grass and vegetation followed immediately by wind of this magnitude when it’s still so incredibly dry,” Daniel Swain, climatologist from the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a live broadcast Monday.
Santa Ana’s intense winds have been linked to some of Southern California’s worst wildfires, including the Franklin fire in December 2024, which scorched more than 1,600 hectares (4,000 acres) of Malibu, damaged or destroyed nearly 50 homes and was completely contained for nine days after it broke out.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service issued its highest extreme fire warning for much of Los Angeles County Tuesday through Friday.
A fire watch is in effect Tuesday through Friday for parts of LA/Ventura County. There is a chance for damaging north to northeast winds, which are likely to peak Tuesday through Wednesday.
Without significant rainfall, the fire season will continue in the New Year! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/fahxe7RIpI
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) January 3, 2025
When will the fires stop?
Experts and officials are not optimistic that the fires will be tamed soon.
Forecasters say the seasonal winds could turn into the worst storm in a decade, with gusts of up to 160 kilometers per hour (100 miles per hour) expected. Typically, wind gusts above 64 km/h (40 mph) can begin to cause damage to trees and infrastructure and become a concern.
“I think it’s going to be a tough night. And what is happening now is just the beginning because the weather conditions are going to get much worse,” meteorologist Daniel Swain told the AFP news agency.
LA Mayor Karen Bass warned that “the wind storm is expected to worsen throughout the morning,” in a post on X early Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, Cal Fire said none of the three wildfires around Los Angeles were contained because the winds were still so strong. Firefighters were trying to work their way through the steep terrain of the Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica Hills to cut down vegetation and create breaks in the flames.
What will happen next?
19 million people in parts of Southern California have been issued a red flag warning, which indicates a “specially hazardous situation.” This warning is usually issued only “in rare situations where prolonged, strong, and violent tornadoes are possible,” according to the National Weather Service. It was last issued during the Franklin fire.
In the midst of all this, the city was also hit by power outages. The website PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages, noted that nearly 1.5 million people were without power in California by Wednesday afternoon.
Los Angeles County has 936,642 outages, with another 194,363 in Ventura County and 168,830 in San Bernardino.
What measures are taken?
Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the affected areas, and schools were closed. Some events in Hollywood have been cancelled.
More than 70,000 people were evacuated, many fleeing on foot after traffic was brought to a standstill. Emergency shelters are open for evacuees from the Palisades and Hurst fires, doc animal shelters have been established for the pets of residents affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Emergency shelters have been opened for Angelenos who have been evacuated due to these devastating fires.#PalisadesFire Refuge:
Westwood Recreation Center – 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd#HurstFire Refuge:
Ritchie Valens Recreation Center – 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) January 8, 2025
Meanwhile, hospitals have reported an increase in the number of people seeking treatment for smoke inhalation.
The Los Angeles Zoo said it would remain closed Wednesday, while 18 school districts are also reporting closures, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Education. The Screen Actors Guild Awards has canceled its personal nomination event on Wednesday.
31st Screen Actors Guild Awards® nomination announcement update pic.twitter.com/v7dvzIQtc0
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) January 8, 2025
The National Weather Service urged people to stay inside and away from windows during the storm.
California has deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel and hundreds of pre-prepared assets to fight these unprecedented fires in LA.
EMS officers, firefighters and EMS are all on deck throughout the night to do everything possible to protect lives.
— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 8, 2025
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced “all hands on deck” with more than 1,400 firefighters deployed to battle the blaze. US President Joe Biden also approved it federal aidincluding from the US military.
