California firefighters are battling wildfires that tore across the Los Angeles area amid high winds, destroying homes, causing tens of thousands of people to flee and straining resources.
Officials in and around the US city are preparing for the situation to worsen on Wednesday as California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency.
With thousands of firefighters already tackling the flames, the Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty staff to help but weather conditions were too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly.
Los Angeles County fire chief Anthony Marrone said two people were killed and many others hurt in the blazes, which have destroyed more than 1,000 structures.
The fire that broke out on Tuesday evening near a nature reserve in the inland foothills north-east of LA spread so rapidly that staff at a care home had to push dozens of elderly residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a car park.
The residents waited in their bedclothes as embers fell around them until ambulances, buses and even construction vans arrived to take them to safety.
Another blaze that started hours earlier ripped through the city’s Pacific Palisades area, a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences and made famous by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit Surfin’ USA.
Roads became impassable after scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some bearing suitcases.
The traffic jam on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from getting through and a bulldozer was brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path. Video along the Pacific Coast Highway showed widespread destruction of homes and businesses along the famous road.
A third wildfire started at around 10.30pm local time on Tuesday (6.30am GMT on Wednesday) and quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar, a San Fernando Valley community that is the northernmost area in Los Angeles. The causes of all three fires are under investigation.
Flames were being spread by Santa Ana winds topping 60mph in some places.
The winds were expected to increase overnight, producing isolated gusts that could top 100mph in mountains and foothills – including in areas that have not seen substantial rain in months.
The situation prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to take the rare step of putting out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help.
Our neighbor’s friend sent this video evacuating our area… pic.twitter.com/n8zLWgi3gR
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 8, 2025
The erratic weather caused US President Joe Biden to cancel plans to travel to inland Riverside County, where he was to announce the establishment of two new national monuments in the state.
He remained in Los Angeles, where smoke was visible from his hotel, and was briefed on the wildfires.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant to help reimburse California for the firefighting cost.
Officials did not give an estimate of structures damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, but they said about 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat. Mr Newsom visited the scene and said many homes had been burned.
By Tuesday evening, the flames had spread into neighbouring Malibu and several people there were being treated for burn injuries and a firefighter had a serious head injury and was taken to a hospital, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott.
“By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods,” Mr Newsom warned residents, as he declared a state of emergency.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 200,000 people were without power in Los Angeles County, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us, because of the strong winds.
I’ve proclaimed a state of emergency to support the communities impacted by the #PalisadesFire.
Southern California residents: stay vigilant, take all necessary precautions, and follow local emergency guidance. pic.twitter.com/ONlIqbpLtW— Governor Newsom (@CAgovernor) January 8, 2025
Recent dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, where there has been very little rain so far this season. Southern California has not seen more than 0.1in of rain since early May.
Actor James Woods posted footage of flames burning through bushes and past palm trees on a hill near his home. The towering orange flames billowed among the landscaped yards between the homes.
“Standing in my driveway, getting ready to evacuate,” Woods said in the short video on X.
I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire. Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire…
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 8, 2025
Some trees and vegetation on the grounds of the Getty Villa were burned by late Tuesday, but staff and the museum collection remain safe, Getty President Katherine Fleming said in a statement.
The museum located on the eastern end of the Pacific Palisades is a separate campus of the world-famous Getty Museum that focuses on the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. The fire also burned Palisades Charter High School.
Film studios cancelled two movie premieres due to the fire and windy weather, and the Los Angeles
Unified School District said it temporarily relocated students from three campuses in the Pacific Palisades area.
