A woman cries as the Palisades Fire progresses in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
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More than 30,000 people in Los Angeles County were ordered to evacuate as the Palisades Fire, one of several wildfires that broke out Tuesday morning, ravaged the community of Pacific Palisades.
Fueled by intense Santa Ana winds, the fire spread over 1,200 acres and threatened 13,000 structures; California Governor Gavin Newsom said at an afternoon news conference that he had already seen many of them destroyed. The fire is still not under control.
Hundreds of firefighters are battling the blaze on foot in the hills of the Santa Monica Mountains, where the fire originally broke out, as well as by plane, dropping water and flame retardant. In the community of Pacific Palisades, thousands of people rushed to escape the flames. According to LAist, video footage showed drivers on Pacific Coast Highway fleeing their cars into the ocean, at the request of officers.
Conditions change rapidly, as evacuation zones move with the pace of the fire. Officials warn that Santa Ana winds will only get worse Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, reaching 100 mph or more. The National Weather Service warned of a “particularly dangerous situation.”
“Very strong gusts and low relative humidity will allow any fire that develops to spread VERY quickly,” the agency added. On Wednesday, it is expected to affect Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
You can find the latest information on the scope and damage of the fire from member station LAist.
Smoke from a wildfire is visible from the Venice Beach neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Firefighters take to the scene as the Palisades Fire advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Jerome Krausse pushes his mother-in-law in a shopping cart as they evacuate their Pacific Palisades home after a wildfire ravaged their Santa Monica, California, neighborhood.
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A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire around a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Étienne Laurent/AP
More than 200 acres burned in Pacific Palisades, an upscale spot with multimillion-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains, closing a key highway and blanketing the area in thick smoke.
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A person flees a raging wildfire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Cyclists ride along the coast as a large plume of dark smoke passes over the beach from a wildfire originating in Pacific Palisades, from Santa Monica, California.
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Richard Vogel/AP
People watch a brush fire burn in Pacific Palisades, California, January 7, 2025. A fast-moving brush fire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and triggered evacuations Tuesday amid ‘life-threatening’ winds were blowing the region. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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People are fleeing the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Firefighters work as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, California January 7, 2025. A fast-moving brush fire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and triggered evacuations Tuesday amid extreme conditions as winds were blowing in the area. (Photo by David Swanson / AFP) (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
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A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Eugene Garcia/AP
A firefighter takes position in front of the Palisades Fire as it advances in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Étienne Laurent/AP
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it progresses through the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Firefighters protect structures from the advancing Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.
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Étienne Laurent/AP
A brush fire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades, California.
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Plumes of smoke are visible as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, seen from Santa Monica, California.
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A fast-moving brush fire in a Los Angeles suburb torched buildings and triggered evacuations Tuesday as “life-threatening” winds blasted the area.
David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images
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David Swanson/AFP/Getty Images
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