California Wildfires: Thousands Evacuated as Strong Winds Fuel at Least 3 Blazes in L.A. Area
Disaster Alert
January 8, 2025
Source: NBC News
Powerful winds whip up fires around Pasadena and the Pacific Palisades and Sylmar neighborhoods of Los Angeles, forcing more than 80,000 residents to be evacuated.
What we know about the California wildfires:
Fast-moving fires are engulfing the Los Angeles area, prompting mandatory evacuations of more than 80,000 people.
The Palisades Fire has already burned through almost 3,000 acres, while the Eaton Fire has destroyed 1,000 acres and the Hurst Fire has affected 500 acres.
While the blazes are zero percent contained, no deaths have been reported.
The fires were sparked by a combination of dry conditions and powerful winds, which were expected to strengthen overnight.
Palisades Fire
Source: NBC Los Angeles
The Palisades Fire started Tuesday in the Los Angeles County coastal community of Pacific Palisades.
The fire has been burned hundreds of acres and forced tens of thousands of evacuations in the community of about 23,000 people, which is nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
It is 5 miles northwest of Santa Monica and 10 miles east of Malibu, just off Pacific Coast Highway. Below maps show where the fire is currently burning.
(Image courtesy of Watch Duty app)
Hurst Fire
Source: Los Angeles Daily News
A fast-moving wind-driven wildfire burned more than 100 acres late Tuesday night in Sylmar growing to 500 acres early Wednesday, forcing emergency evacuations in some neighborhoods.
The Hurst fire was reported shortly before 10:30 pm near Diamond Road, according to Cal Fire.
Within 15 minutes the blaze exploded to more than 100 acres, jumped the 210 Freeway and began to spread in the Angeles National Forest along the footprint of the Saddle Ridge Fire that burned 8,799 acres in October 2019, Watch Duty, which tracks firefighting efforts in real time, said on its website.
The Los Angeles Emergency Management Department ordered people in the area north of the 210 Freeway from Roxford Street to the 5 Freeway/14 Freeway split to immediately evacuate.
(Image courtesy of Watch Duty app)
Eaton Fire
Source: KTLA
A wildfire that ignited Tuesday night in the Eaton Canyon area near Altadena is forcing evacuations as a destructive windstorm continues battering Southern California.
The Eaton Fire was fire reported at around 6:30 p.m. near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive and had grown to over 1,000 acres as of 12:07 a.m. Wednesday.
Evacuations of surrounding areas are underway as crews from the Pasadena Fire Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service are responding to the blaze.
Areas under mandatory evacuation:
- East of Altadena Drive
- Kinneloa Canyon Road
- Outpost Lane
- Glen Springs
- Coolidge
- Miranda
- Roosevelt
- Veranda
- Kenclare
- Foxridge
- Canyon Close
- Grand Oak
- North of New York Drive
- West of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue
- North of Sierra Madre
- East of Allen
- West of Santa Anita Drive
- In Arcadia – North of Orange Grove/Rosemead Boulevard; East of Lake Avenue; West of Michillinda Avenue
(Images courtesy of the Watch Duty app)
We will continue to update as additional information is acquired.
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