A fast-moving wildfire swept through the upscale Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying homes and forcing 30,000 residents to flee under massive plumes of smoke that blanketed the city. The fire, fueled by strong winds and dry conditions, burned 2,921 acres (1,182 hectares) between Santa Monica and Malibu, with officials warning of worsening wind conditions overnight.
“We feel very blessed at this point that there’s no injuries that are reported,” said Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, noting that 25,000 people in 10,000 homes remained at risk.
Evacuations extended to parts of Santa Monica as flames engulfed homes and cars, forcing some residents to flee on foot. Cindy Festa, a Pacific Palisades resident, described the fire as being “this close to the cars” as she evacuated. “Burning up the hillside. The palm trees—everything is going,” she said.
Aircraft dropped water on the flames, while bulldozers cleared roads for emergency vehicles. The Getty Villa museum, housing priceless artwork, narrowly avoided damage thanks to preventive brush clearing around its grounds.
Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency and warned of concurrent fires as conditions, described by the National Weather Service as “about as bad as it gets,” persisted across Southern California. A second blaze, the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, burned 200 acres (80 hectares).
President Joe Biden, whose travel plans were disrupted by the strong winds, stated, “I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire.” A federal grant was approved to aid California’s fire response.
The fire left Hollywood stars among the evacuees. James Woods expressed uncertainty about the fate of his home, while Steve Guttenberg urged cooperation. “It’s really important for everybody to band together… Just get out,” he said.
