Residents Flee As Fierce Santa Ana Winds Fuel Palisades Wildfire Near Los Angeles
By Jan Wesner Childs6 hours ago
At a Glance
The Palisades Fire broke out Tuesday morning near Los Angeles.
Evacuations were underway and at least one shelter was open.
The fire was fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds.
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People raced to escape a fast-growing wildfire burning Tuesday in dangerously high Santa Ana winds and dry conditions in the Los Angeles area.
“This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight,” David Ortiz of the Los Angeles Fire Department told KTLA-TV.
The Palisades Fire broke out near the coast west of Los Angeles in the morning and quickly grew in size, fueled by winds forecast to reach up to 100 mph.
Abandoned Vehicles, Burning Homes
California Gov. Gavin Newsom toured the area Tuesday afternoon and said he saw “not a few — many structures already destroyed.” By then the fire had burned nearly two square miles and was still growing.
People desperate to evacuate left their cars and set out on foot, according to KNBC-TV. A truck sitting in traffic reportedly burst into flames.
“We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road,” evacuee Kelsey Trainor, told the AP. “People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming. The road was just blocked, like full-on blocked for an hour.”
Ash fell around the scene.
Earlier, local news reports said multiple homes were on fire, and at least one person posted on social media that they were trapped on the road and unable to evacuate.
A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
A woman cries as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
(AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Video shared from an account listed as belonging to actor James Woods showed what appeared to be at least one structure burning in his neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for areas including Merrimac Road, Topanga Canyon Boulevard and neighborhoods near Pacific Coast Highway. At least three schools were also evacuated.
The Highest Wind Gusts In Southern California
These were among the highest recorded as of Tuesday afternoon:
60 to 71 mph, Santa Anas (Orange Co.)
72 mph, Malibu Hills west of Pacific Palisades/Topanga Canyon
70 to 75 mph, below Cajon Pass (I-15/Inland Empire)
78 mph, Whiteman Airport (Los Angeles)
79 mph, north of Pasadena (La Cañada Flintridge/Altadena)
80 mph, Fremont Canyon (Orange County)
86 mph, San Gabriels (Magic Mountain)
How Long Will The Danger Last?
“These strong winds will last through Wednesday afternoon or evening,” weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said Tuesday.
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The most dangerous hours were expected to be overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Winds during that time could gust up to 100 mph.
“This is likely to be the strongest Santa Ana this season, so far, and possibly in the last few years,” Erdman said.
Get the full forecast here.
The National Weather Service noted extreme fire conditions and red flag warnings for much of Los Angeles and eastern Ventura counties from Tuesday into Thursday. Red flag warnings, which indicate the potential for dangerous fire weather, are also in place for inland Orange County, the Santa Ana mountains, the Inland Empire and the San Bernardino mountain foothills.Winds this high carry a number of risks, most notably wildfires and structural damage.
“This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation – in other words, this is about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned in a social media post ahead of the winds.
Heavy smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Heavy smoke from a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades rises over the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
(AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
What Are Santa Ana Winds?
Santa Ana winds happen in very specific weather conditions. The highest wind speeds are driven both by a strong pressure difference between the Great Basin and coast, as well as strong winds thousands of feet above the ground pushing down to the surface.
Southern California’s mountains serve as a funnel for these north-to-northeast winds, forcing them to squeeze and accelerate through passes and canyons. Santa Ana winds are named after one of those canyons.
Power Outage Updates
Southern California Edison, one of the region’s largest utility companies, warned customers of potential public safety power shutoffs. That’s when electricity is turned off to prevent downed power lines from sparking wildfires.
“The grid is built to withstand strong winds,” Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for the utility, told The Associated Press. “The issue here is the possibility of debris becoming airborne and hitting wires … or a tree coming down.”
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Weather.com staff writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
