Palisades Fire map: Almost 3,000 acres ablaze, thousands ordered to evacuate
"I saw firsthand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers and the number of structures that are destroyed," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
A wildfire in California threatens thousands of Los Angeles homes weeks after a different fire caused Malibu residents to evacuate. High wind speeds are expected to make the fire difficult to control.
The Palisades Fire set 2,921 acres ablaze in Los Angeles County, and residents are being forced to evacuate due to an "immediate threat to life," according to Cal Fire.
On Tuesday, at 10:30 a.m. local time, the fire ignited near the Topanga Canyon, around 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, according to the office of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Later in the day, evacuation orders were issued for the Palisades area.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
State of emergency
Newsom declared a state of emergency as the National Weather Service forecasts high winds and "extreme fire weather" to threaten much of Southern California until Thursday.
"This is a highly dangerous windstorm that’s creating extreme fire risk – and we’re not out of the woods," Newsom said in a statement. "We’re already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes."
The state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant, approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA.
"In addition to prepositioning dozens of firefighting engines and personnel in advance of the fire threat, we have secured funding from the federal government to fight this destructive, fast-moving fire," Newsom said.
Thousands of structures threatened
As of Tuesday, 10,000 structures and over 13,000 households are threatened, according to LA Fire Department Chief Kristin M. Crowley.
"By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods," Newsom said during a press conference. "I saw firsthand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers and the number of structures that are destroyed. Not a few, many structures already destroyed."
Palisades Fire map
Evacuation orders for Palisades Fire
Evacuation orders were issued for the Palisades area. You can find an interactive map of evacuation orders and warnings related to the Palisades Fire on the Cal Fire website.
LA Fire Department urges Southern Californians to be prepared to evacuate if necessary and report any suspicious activity to help prevent arson.
The below map was current as of 7 a.m. ET.
Evacuation shelters
Anyone evacuating their homes due to the fire can go to the following locations, according to Cal Fire:
- Westwood Recreation Center- 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, California, 90025
- El Camino Real Charter High School- 5440 Valley Circle Blvd., Woodland Hills, California, 91367
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Road closures
First responders urge people to avoid driving at this time.
However, the following roads are closed, according to Cal Fire:
- Southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Las Flores Canyon Rd
- Southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Topanga Canyon Boulevard
- Coastline Drive and Southbound Pacific Coast Highway
School districts closed due to fires
The following school districts will remain closed on Wednesday, Jan. 8 due to multiple wildfires in the area, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
- Alhambra Unified School District
- Arcadia Unified School District
- Azusa Unified School District
- Baldwin Park Unified School District
- Bonita Unified School District
- Burbank Unified School District
- Duarte Unified School District
- El Monte City School District
- Glendale Unified School District
- La Canada Unified School District
- Las Vírgenes School District
- Los Angeles Unified School District (Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary, Canyon Charter Elementary School, Marquez Charter Elementary School, Palisades Charter Elementary School, Paul Revere Charter Middle School, and Topanga Elementary Charter School are closed. Classes are not in session at Palisades Charter High School, and students at the Zoo at North Hollywood High were asked to go to the North Hollywood High School main campus)
- Monrovia Unified School District
- Mountain View School District
- Rosemead School District
- San Gabriel Unified School District
- San Marino Unified School District
- Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District
- South Pasadena Unified School District
- Temple City Unified School District
- Valle Lindo School District
This story has been updated to add new information.
Julia is a trending reporter for Paste BN. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com