Southern California Wildfires Force Evacuations Amid High Winds and Power Outages
Four fast-moving wildfires are raging across communities in the Los Angeles area, driven by high winds that are expected to persist, increasing the wildfire risk for the coming days.
Palisades Fire A brush fire in Pacific Palisades has rapidly spread to over 3,000 acres, prompting mandatory evacuations. The fire is currently 0% contained.
The Los Angeles Fire Department has issued evacuation orders for the following zones:
- DRY-U026-A, LOS-Q0767, MAL-C111-A, MAL-C111-B, MAL-C112-B, MTN-U028, RMB-U030-A, RMB-U030-B, RMB-U030-D, RRC-U027, SAN-Q1395-B, SAN-Q1396-B, SDP-U029, SSM-U010-A, SSM-U010-B, TOP-U001, TOP-U002, TOP-U003, TOP-U004, TOP-U005, TOP-U006, TOP-U007, TOP-U008, TOP-U009
Evacuations have expanded east to Kenter Avenue, north to Mulholland Road, south to the Pacific Coast Highway, and west to Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Eaton Fire The Eaton Fire has spread to 2,227 acres and is also 0% contained. Mandatory evacuations have been issued for several areas of Pasadena, including:
- East of Allen Avenue, north of Washington Boulevard, and west of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue.
- Later expanded to areas north of Orange Grove/Rosemead Boulevard, east of Lake Avenue, and west of Michillinda Avenue.
Evacuations cover many zones across the city, and an evacuation center has been set up at the Pasadena Civic Center (300 East Green Street).
Hurst Fire The Hurst Fire, currently 0% contained, has spread to 505 acres. Evacuations have been ordered for communities north of I-210 to the I-5 and Route 14 split. Affected zones include:
- LAC-E119-B, LAC-E132-A, LAC-E132-B, LOS-E001
Woodley Fire The Woodley Fire, ignited early Wednesday morning, has grown to 75 acres. The fire is burning near North Woodley Avenue in the Sepulveda Basin, with flames being driven south by strong winds. The fire poses a threat of crossing Burbank Boulevard. Cal Fire crews are working to contain the fire and protect structures.
Wind-Driven Fires Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching up to 60 mph in some areas and potentially topping 100 mph in the mountains and foothills, are exacerbating the fire danger. These winds are forecast to continue, with red flag warnings in effect until Thursday at 6 p.m. for multiple areas, including Malibu, Santa Monica Mountains, San Gabriel Valley, and the Santa Clarita Valley.
Officials warn of potential power outages, fallen power lines, and hazardous conditions along the coast and at local airports. Utilities are considering preemptive power shutoffs for approximately half a million customers across eight counties to prevent fires sparked by downed equipment.
The extended period of high winds and dry conditions poses a prolonged fire risk across Southern California.