A rapidly spreading wildfire tore through an upscale section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying homes and causing significant traffic congestion as 30,000 people were forced to evacuate under thick smoke that blanketed much of the metropolitan area.
Officials reported that at least 2,921 acres (1,182 hectares) in the Pacific Palisades area, located between Santa Monica and Malibu, had been burned. This came after warnings about extreme fire risks due to powerful winds that followed a period of dry weather.
The fire spread quickly, with officials anticipating the worst wind conditions overnight, raising concerns that additional neighborhoods might be forced to evacuate.
Witnesses described several homes engulfed in flames, with fire threatening cars as residents fled from the hills of Topanga Canyon, where the fire spread toward the Pacific Ocean.
“We feel very blessed at this point that no injuries have been reported,” said Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley in a press briefing, noting that over 25,000 people in 10,000 homes were at risk.
Firefighters used aircraft to scoop water from the ocean and drop it on nearby flames. Television footage showed bulldozers clearing abandoned cars from roads to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
As the sun set, towering orange flames lit up the hills leading to Topanga Canyon.
The fire partially scorched some trees on the grounds of the Getty Villa, a museum housing valuable artworks, but the collection remained largely safe due to precautionary efforts to clear brush around the building. The museum will remain closed for at least the rest of the week. With only one major road out of the canyon and a single coastal highway leading to safety, traffic came to a halt, prompting many to flee on foot.
Cindy Festa, a resident of Pacific Palisades, described evacuating from the canyon with flames “this close to the cars,” as she demonstrated with her thumb and forefinger. “People left their cars on Palisades Drive. Burning up the hillside. The palm trees—everything is going,” Festa said.
Before the fire broke out, the National Weather Service issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions across much of Los Angeles County from Tuesday to Thursday, forecasting wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph (80 to 130 kph).
The strong, dry Santa Ana winds, originating from inland deserts, combined with low humidity and dry vegetation due to the lack of rain, created “about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather,” according to the National Weather Service.
Governor Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency, stated that the state had positioned personnel, firetrucks, and aircraft in Southern California to address the broader fire threat.
“Hopefully, we’re wrong, but we’re anticipating other fires happening concurrently,” Newsom remarked during a press conference.
The winds also affected President Joe Biden’s travel plans, causing Air Force One to remain grounded in Los Angeles. The president had been scheduled to fly to the Coachella Valley for a ceremony, but it was postponed to a later date at the White House.
Pacific Palisades, home to many Hollywood celebrities, saw actor James Woods confirm his evacuation, but he expressed uncertainty about the fate of his home, saying, “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing.”
Actor Steve Guttenberg urged people to focus on evacuation rather than personal property, sharing that friends of his were unable to evacuate because others had left their cars on the road. “It’s really important for everybody to band together and don’t worry about your personal property. Just get out. Get your loved ones and get out,” Guttenberg emphasized.
