Pacific Palisades fire explodes as thousands of residents flee

Darrin Hurwitz said what appeared to start as a small brush fire turned into a raging inferno within the space of about half an hour. The Pacific Palisades resident, who lives on Las Lomas Avenue, said as many as 20 homes were burning as he fled to safety Tuesday from the Palisades fire.

“Things were moving so quickly,” said Hurwitz, who was working at home when the flames erupted. “Within a few minutes, there were multiple fires.”

Hurwitz said he rushed around his home, grabbing practical items including clothing for his two elementary-school-age children, laptops and medications, as well as more sentimental belongings such as artwork and family heirlooms.

After arriving at his parents’ home in Calabasas, where he watched news of the fire unfolding, he was mourning the items his family may have lost. He wondered if his home was even still standing. His children questioned whether their school, Marquez Charter Elementary, which was evacuated Tuesday, was damaged and if they’d be able to return.

Hurwitz, who grew up in Southern California, moved from the East Coast to Pacific Palisades more than two years ago, drawn to the community for its breathtaking views and family-friendly atmosphere. But fire risk has been on his mind.

“There hasn’t been a day I’ve lived there,” Hurwitz said, “where I haven’t thought, one, this is the most beautiful place in the world, and two, it may all go up in flames at some point.”