Raging fires are moving across more than 5,600 acres of Southern California land, forcing more than 30,000 people to evacuate their homes, some of them on foot. Three separate fires have broken out due to fierce wind storms that have knocked down trees and power lines. Here’s what we know so far—and what buildings have been impacted.
Where are the fires burning?
As of today, three fires have broken out: one in the Pacific Palisades, another in the mountains above Pasadena, and the third in the San Fernando Valley.
First, a fire broke out Tuesday morning at about 10:30 a.m. local time, in the Pacific Palisades Highlands community, a coastal neighborhood west of downtown Los Angeles. In just hours, the blaze had consumed more than 3,000 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
Just hours later, a second blaze was sparked in Eaton Canyon, in the San Gabriel Mountains above Altadena. The Eaton fire, as it is being called, had burned more than 1,000 acres by that night. The third fire, the Hurst fire, broke out later that night near a suburb in the San Fernando Valley northwest of downtown Los Angeles, overwhelming 500 acres by the end of the night and forcing evacuations in Sylmar.
What was the cause of the wildfires?
The fires were sparked by a combination of dry conditions and strong winds. This winter has been a particularly dry season, creating critical fire-weather conditions in the California mountains. In the winter and late fall, the cooler weather coincides with the Santa Ana winds, creating strong wind gusts—reaching 100 m.p.h, the strongest Southern California has experienced in more than a decade—that can cause some of the region’s most devastating fires.
What buildings have been damaged so far? ?
While the blazes are zero percent contained as of now, no deaths have been reported.
At least 30,000 residents all the way down to the Pacific Ocean have been ordered to evacuate, officials said. As one significant evacuation route faltered, people were «walking on Sunset Boulevard toward Pacific Coast Highway after being told by officers to abandon their cars and walk to safety,» LAist reports. «Many were seen holding bags and pets as they made their way towards the ocean.»
Multiple structures have been damaged in the Pacific Palisades, Kristin M. Crowley, fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, said on Tuesday afternoon, noting that it was unclear exactly how many homes or buildings had been damaged from either fire. She added that more than 10,0000 households and about 13,000 structures are under threat. Meanwhile, almost 300,000 energy customers have been in the dark this morning, PowerOutage.com told NBC News.
Fires approach the Getty Villa, shown here Wednesday.
Significant cultural institutions are also at risk. The grounds of the Getty Villa, a cultural compound and museum located on the Pacific Coast Highway, have caught fire, the museum confirmed Tuesday. Fire officials said that trees and brush were ablaze, threatening to approach structures, but the museum and Villa have been spared so far.
“Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year,” Katherine E. Fleming, president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, said in a statement. “Some trees and vegetation on site have burned, but staff and the collection remain safe.”
The museum, built in 1954 by oil tycoon J. Paul Getty and opened as a museum in 1974, houses more than 44,000 artifacts and antiquities that date from 6,500 BC to AD 400. Among its most treasured items in the collection is Statue of a Victorious Youth, a Greek bronze sculpture dating back to circa 300-100 BC.
The Getty Center, a 30-minute drive north of the Getty Villa, has been unaffected so far.
Who has been affected?
The blaze swept through the Pacific Palisades, a ritzy area near Malibu, that is popular with celebrities. Actor Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, said on social media he was forced to evacuate his home in Malibu. He cautioned people to “stay safe,” noting that he saw small fires breaking out on both sides of the road as he fled.
Reality TV star Heidi Montag and her husband, Spencer Pratt—best known in reality TV hit The Hills—lost their home to the blaze, the Guardian reported. Pratt had filmed the fire spreading on social media, and his sister, Stephanie, later confirmed that her brother’s house had been destroyed.
The actor Eugene Levy, from American Pie and the TV show Schitt’s Creek, evacuated on Tuesday, telling the Los Angeles Times while stuck in traffic, “The smoke looked pretty black and intense.”
Are the fires expected to grow?
The strong Santa Anas are expected to last through much of Wednesday, according to officials, peaking between 10 p.m. local time Tuesday and 5 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the New York Times. Due to the strong winds, aircraft were grounded, limiting firefighters to battle the blazes on the ground.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we have more information.
Rachel Silva is the associate digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers all things design, architecture, and lifestyle. She also oversees the publication’s feature article coverage, and is, at any moment, knee-deep in an investigation on everything from the best spa gifts to the best faux florals on the internet right now. She has more than 16 years of experience in editorial, working as a photo assignment editor at Time and acting as the president of Women in Media in NYC. She went to Columbia Journalism School, and her work has been nominated for awards from ASME, the Society of Publication Designers, and World Press Photo.
