Warnings and Evacuations Remain in Place as Palisades Fire and Three Other Major Wildfires Devastate Los Angeles, Destroying 1,100 Structures and Forcing Thousands to Evacuate Amid Extreme Weather Conditions.
The Palisades fire, which spans both Los Angeles City and County jurisdictions, has consumed over 11,800 acres with zero percent containment. Officials report approximately 1,000 structures destroyed and multiple injuries to both residents who failed to evacuate and first responders on the fire line.
"We have well over 1,000 personnel assigned," said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Maroney. The fire has prompted the evacuation of 3,398 civilians, with more than 15,000 structures in the evacuation zone.
A second major blaze, the Eaton fire, has burned more than 10,000 acres across the Angeles National Forest, Altadena, and Pasadena areas. Officials confirmed two civilian fatalities and over 100 destroyed structures. The fire remains at zero percent containment with 500 personnel working to control the flames.
In Sylmar, the Hearst fire erupted Thursday night around 10:10 p.m., quickly growing to 700 acres and forcing more than 3,000 residents to evacuate. The fire is burning within the footprint of the historic Saddle Ridge fire.
Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristen Crowley reported that emergency services are severely stretched, with the department responding to 3,624 emergency calls in 24 hours — more than double their daily average of 1,500 calls.
The county has requested substantial reinforcements, including 250 fire engines and over 1,000 personnel from neighboring states. First responders from Nevada, Oregon, and Washington are en route to assist.
"The National Weather Service has predicted a continued red flag weather event with strong winds and low humidities, placing all residents of Los Angeles County in danger," Maroney said. All aircraft were grounded Thursday evening due to high winds, though operations resumed Friday when weather permitted.
Multiple evacuation centers supported by the American Red Cross have been established throughout the affected areas.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said Palisades High School has been damaged.
“As of last night, we had to shut down five schools as a result of mandatory evacuation conditions,” he said. “Those were Canyon Elementary School, Marquez Elementary School, Palisades charter Elementary School, Paul Revere Middle School and Topanga Elementary School, in addition to Palisades high Charter High School. We have reports that Palisades high sustained significant damage as a result of the fire. We are working with state and federal entities to quickly access resources to address the issues facing this community.”
Sheriff Robert Luna said evacuation orders cover approximately 37,000 residents in the city of Calabasas, the city of Malibu, Los Angeles City, Pacific Palisades, unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, Topanga Canyon and the northern tip of Santa Monica adjacent to the Palisades.
He said there have been minor injuries and that his officers have already had to protect evacuated homes from thieves.
“It's always sad when I have to say this, but part of our responsibility is to make sure that no one loots or steals from our residents, our community members, who are already being impacted,” he said “And I'm sad to report, we've made two arrests this morning for looting already.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonald said his department is also ready to combat looting but also handle the expected traffic impacts of the fire.
“As far as traffic goes, that's something that we're used to dealing with here,” he said. “This will be an extra test of gridlock in many places due to people not having access to their normal routes. I would say that if you have an ability to be able to stay out of the Westside today, to commute or to to work from home, as long as your employers are good with that, to take advantage of that. The air is very tough today for particularly those who are challenged medically. If you can stay home and work from there, I would, I would recommend that.”
Supervisor Lindsay Horvath thanked first responders for all their work.
“This morning, we woke up to a dark cloud over all of Los Angeles, but it is darkest for those who are most intimately impacted by these fires,” she said. “It has been an immensely painful 24 hours for communities I represent, the Palisades, the Hearst and Woodley fires are all in the third district, but our strength is in our togetherness, and that will determine how we make it through. We need your partnership. In this time of crisis, it is difficult to process the immensity of the destruction and loss. We extend our hearts and every resource we have to all of our impacted residents. We know when we talk about these structures, they aren't just structures. They aren't even just houses. They're homes. This is our home. These are places where we built community, where we raise families, where we made memories that we will never forget, even if we can't go back to these structures. These are our home. Losing home is simply devastating, and I know that we are all here to support you and stand with you in this time of need.”
The causes of all fires remain under investigation.
