LOS ANGELES — A fierce wildfire fueled by high winds tore through a hillside in Los Angeles known for its celebrity residences on Tuesday. It devastated homes in Pacific Palisades and compelled evacuation orders for thousands of residents. In the scramble to escape, traffic congestion ensued, with many fleeing on foot and abandoning their vehicles while carrying luggage.
The congestion on Palisades Drive hindered emergency services from accessing the area, prompting the LA Fire Department to dispatch a bulldozer to clear a path by pushing abandoned cars aside.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was in Southern California to attend a national monument naming by President Joe Biden, detoured to witness the fire’s impact. He reported seeing significant destruction, noting, “many structures already destroyed.” Although officials did not provide a specific count of the properties affected, they indicated that around 30,000 residents were subject to evacuation orders, with more than 13,000 structures at risk.
The blaze erupted just after 10:30 a.m., coinciding with the onset of a Santa Ana windstorm, which the National Weather Service described as potentially “life-threatening” and the most powerful to strike the region in over ten years. The precise cause of the fire remains unknown, but no injuries have been reported thus far.
In Altadena, located approximately 25 miles northeast, another fire spread over 200 acres by Tuesday evening, prompting additional evacuation orders, as communicated by the Angeles National Forest via social media.
As the night proceeded, winds were expected to worsen, potentially exceeding 100 mph in certain mountainous and foothill regions — areas that have been unusually dry for months. Newsom cautioned residents that the situation remains precarious, indicating that the most severe winds are anticipated between late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. He declared a state of emergency to address the issue.
By Tuesday evening, around 28,300 households were experiencing power outages due to the gusty conditions. In an attempt to mitigate fire risks, power had been preemptively disabled for about 15,000 customers in the Southern California area, with as many as half a million more customers facing possible power shutoffs.
The Pacific Palisades fire rapidly engulfed about 4.6 square miles of land, creating a towering plume of smoke visible throughout the city. Residents in nearby Venice Beach, situated roughly 6 miles away, reported seeing the blaze. This incident was among several fire outbreaks in the vicinity.
To facilitate evacuation efforts, segments of Interstate 10 and the Pacific Coast Highway were closed to non-essential traffic, but many routes remained obstructed. Some evacuees abandoned their cars and waited for a ride to safety.
Resident Kelsey Trainor noted that the sole access road to her neighborhood was entirely blocked, with ash falling around them and flames roaring on both sides.
“The fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other,” Trainor described. “People were emerging from their cars with their dogs and kids, crying and screaming. The road was completely full for about an hour.”
A video journalist reported witnessing the roofs and chimneys of homes in flames, along with burn marks on the walls of other residences. The Pacific Palisades area, which borders Malibu, features tightly packed homes situated along winding roads adjacent to the Santa Monica Mountains, stretching down to the Pacific beaches.
Images captured by a photographer revealed luxury homes engulfed in flames as helicopters circled overhead, dousing the area with water. Traffic was heavily congested as evacuees fled toward the highway, while others pleaded for rides back to retrieve pets.
Will Adams, a long-time resident of the Palisades, rushed to collect his children from school upon learning of the fire’s proximity. Meanwhile, embers landed in his wife’s vehicle as she attempted to evacuate, prompting her to leave the running car behind and walk toward safety along with other residents.
Describing the chaos, Adams remarked, “In my 56 years here, I’ve never seen anything like this. The skies turned brown, then black, as homes ignited, and I can hear loud pops and cracks, which I suspect are transformers exploding.”
Actor James Woods shared footage of flames consuming vegetation and palm trees near his residence, while Steve Guttenberg, also a Pacific Palisades resident, urged those who had left their cars to do so without keys, allowing for better access for fire services.
Due to the unpredictable weather conditions, President Biden scrapped plans to visit Riverside County for a national monument announcement and remained in Los Angeles, where he monitored the wildfire situation. His administration has offered federal assistance for firefighting efforts.
Tree and vegetation damage occurred at the Getty Villa, although the staff and valuable collections were reported secure. The Getty Villa, located at the eastern end of Pacific Palisades, is a part of the renowned Getty Museum focusing on ancient Greek and Roman art.
Consequently, film studios canceled two movie premieres, and the Los Angeles Unified School District temporarily relocated students from three nearby campuses.
The recent dry winds, particularly the infamous Santa Anas, have contributed to alarming temperature increases in Southern California, which has received less than a quarter inch of rain since early May.
