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Palisades Fire (2025)
The Palisades Fire is a wildfire burning in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County in Southern California. As of January 8, 2025[update], at 5:07 pm PST, the fire had spread to at least 17,234 acres (6,974 ha; 26.928 sq mi; 69.74 km2), devastating the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and nearby Malibu. It is the first and largest of four major wildfires being driven by an extremely powerful Santa Ana wind event. By 6 pm PST of January 8, Wildfire Alliance statistics indicated that the fire is the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history, surpassing the Sayre Fire in Sylmar in 2008 which destroyed 604 structures. The cause of the fire is under investigation.[1] BackgroundA strong high-pressure system over the Great Basin created a steep northerly pressure gradient across Southern California. The system triggered powerful Santa Ana winds, katabatic winds which are known to develop when cooler, dense inland air is funneled through mountain passes and canyons toward the warmer coastal regions.[2] At the same time, the Southern Coast had experienced "eight months without any measurable rainfall"[3] and much of the region had fallen into moderate drought conditions.[4] The Los Angeles Times quoted a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection that the conditions were "the perfect recipe for a large wildfire".[3] The National Weather Service (NWS) red flag warnings the morning of Monday January 6, effective through Thursday evening, for multiple regions, including the Malibu coast, Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, and the San Gabriel, San Fernando, and Santa Clarita valleys. The windstorm was predicted to be "life-threatening" and Santa Ana wind gusts were forecasted to reach speeds of 60–80 miles per hour, with some peak gusts reaching 90 mph (140 km/h) in mountainous areas.[5] Residents were urged to "use extreme caution with anything that can spark a wildfire" and those near forests to be prepared to evacuate.[3] Caltrans announced precautionary road closures, including Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway, due to heightened wildfire danger.[5] Cal Fire pre-positioned firefighting assets across Southern California as is common in red flag warnings, so that they can quickly respond in case a fire does break out.[6] The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power ensured that all three of their water tanks in the area affected by the red flag warning, which hold approximately one million gallons each, were full ahead of the wind event.[7] This is vital because water systems lose pressure when they experience sudden high demand -- especially at elevation -- as is the case in firefighting. Despite these efforts, 20% of fire hydrants eventually ran out of water in the more elevated parts of Pacific Palisades.[8][9] Progression.jpg) The fire was first reported at about 10:30 a.m. PST on January 7, 2025, covering around 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the mountains close to Pacific Palisades. It quickly spread due to a combination of severe drought in Southern California (the driest 9-month period on record), and a worsening Santa Ana wind event which created winds gusts up to 80 mph (130 km/h).[10][11] Within 20 minutes, the fire grew from 20 acres (8.1 ha) to 200 acres (81 ha). The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) said the blaze had reached more than 700 acres (280 ha) by 2:10 p.m.,[12] with over 250 firefighters tackling it as it started to reach homes. Just one hour later, an update from CalFire stated that the fire had rapidly grown to 1,262 acres (511 ha).[13] The intensification of the concurrent windstorm at night forced the grounding of firefighting aircraft, further hindering efforts to manage the wildfire's spread.[14] Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, toured the fire on January 7, and said that many structures had been destroyed.[15] At 12:29 a.m. on January 8, a CalFire status report said the fire had grown to 2,921 acres (1,182 ha).[16] Hours later, 1,400 firefighters had been assigned to the fire which continued to grow as several injuries were reported, including a 25-year-old firefighter with a "serious head injury". Several beachfront properties in Malibu were destroyed by the wildfire.[17] In a LAFD press conference on the morning of January 8, fire chief Anthony Marrone said that the fire had reached a size of more than 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) and had destroyed around 1,000 structures. Robert Luna, the sheriff of Los Angeles County, said that 37,000 people were under evacuation order due to the fire, adding that 15,000 structures were at risk of burning.[13] A CalFire status report at 11:45 a.m. said the fire had grown to 11,802 acres (4,776 ha),[18] a figure which had grown to 17,234 acres (6,974 ha) by 1:20 p.m.[19] In another press conference which began at 3:15 p.m., Crowley said that 1,792 personnel have been deployed to assist in fighting the fire, adding that it was still growing and continued to demand "significant resources".[13] Evacuation In a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) press conference on January 7, at 3:40 p.m., fire chief Kristin Crowley said that over 30,000 people were under evacuation orders, with more than 10,000 houses and 13,000 buildings under threat. During the conference, Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the president of Los Angeles City Council and acting mayor, declared a state of emergency in response to the fire.[13] During the hectic evacuation, some roads became impassable. As flames moved closer, people abandoned their cars and fled for their lives, some taking their keys with them; bulldozers were later called in to move almost 200 such vehicles off the road. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) sent around 140 officers to assist with evacuations and gridlock.[13] Fire department officials issued an Emergency Alert System message, which was relayed by the National Weather Service, to notify residents of the evacuations, and subsequently ordered residents unable to evacuate to shelter in place.[20] At 2:30 p.m. on January 8 an evacuation order covering part of Santa Monica was expanded to cover all areas north of Montana Avenue from the beach to 11th Street,[21] with evacuation warnings for additional areas north of Montana Avenue and areas north of Wilshire Boulevard and west of 10th Street.[22] Impact According to Wildfire Alliance statistics, the Palisades fire destroyed at least 1,000 structures, making it the most destructive in Los Angeles's history. It surpassed the Sayre Fire, the second-most destructive, which destroyed 604 structures in 2008, and the Bel Air Fire which destroyed nearly 500 houses in 1961. As of January 8, 2025[update], at 6:00 pm PST, AccuWeather estimated preliminary damage costs to be between $52 billion and $57 billion, which would make it the costliest wildfire in American history.[23] Will Rogers' house and the stables at the Will Rogers State Historic Park were destroyed; park staff safely evacuated the horses and removed some of the exhibited memorabilia. The historic Topanga Ranch Motel at Topanga State Park also burned down. A total of 30 buildings across the two parks were destroyed including staff housing.[24] The Theatre Palisades was destroyed by the fire,[25] and vegetation at the Getty Villa caught fire but the building itself was unscathed.[26][27] The Palisades branch of the Los Angeles Public Library,[28] Palisades Elementary and Marquez Elementary Schools were destroyed, with Palisades Charter High School being "badly damaged."[29] Other destroyed structures included the Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades, Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Village School, and the landmarked Pacific Palisades Business Block building.[citation needed] Many celebrities lost their homes in the ensuing fire, including James Woods, Jennifer Grey, Anna Faris, Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Diane Warren, Cary Elwes, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody.[30][31][32] On NBC News Daily, actor and Pacific Palisades resident Steve Guttenberg related his experiences trying to get to his house and he had not yet gotten back to it. He also said the public should be mindful to leave vehicle keys with the vehicles in emergencies so that they may be more easily moved.  President Joe Biden arrived in Los Angeles the evening of January 6 ahead of a planned event in Thermal to establish two new national monuments and for the birth of his great-granddaughter. He entered his limousine, but due to the fire and ongoing wind event, the motorcade never departed, and he returned to his hotel. The dedication ceremony was rescheduled for the following week at the White House.[33] The Los Angeles premieres of Universal Pictures' Wolf Man and Amazon MGM Studios' Unstoppable were canceled in response to the fire.[34] Citizens in the area including Guttenberg have been volunteering their time in helping first responders. He said that "this is the time for us to remember that we’re part of a community" and that people "have to help each other and be kind to each other. If you see somebody who needs help, help them. Ask them what they need."[35] See alsoReferences
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