❌

Normal view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.
Today β€” 9 January 2025Main stream

Los Angeles wildfires are still burning across the area — ripping through homes and lives: Latest updates

9 January 2025 at 10:49
image of homes on fire on cliffside in front of ocean
Thousands of firefighters continued battling the Palisades Fire on Thursday β€” and others around Los Angeles County.

Official Flickr Account of CAL FIRE / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Los Angeles area battled several fires that continued to rip through its picturesque mountains and hillsides on Thursday β€” creating a hellscape of burned-out neighborhoods and livelihoods, with nearly 180,000 people under evacuation orders.

Thick bands of smoke could be seen in several directions from the city's downtown core β€” with at least five fires burning throughout the 4,000 square-mile county that's home to nearly 10 million people.

As of Thursday morning local time, an additional 200,000 people had been placed under evacuation warnings β€” with officials advising them to get ready to leave their homes if the fires raging near their residences got closer.

More than 27,000 acres have burned so far β€” and at least five deaths have been reported, officials said. They wouldn't confirm an exact death toll at a Thursday briefing.

They said "thousands" of homes and other structures had been destroyed so far. According to AccuWeather's preliminary estimates, the damage in the wake of the fires could rise beyond $60 billion.

Smoke seen from downtown Los Angeles
The Los Angeles downtown skyline in the distance was surrounded by smoke and haze on Thursday morning.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman described the scene in LA as apocalyptic.

"Not since the 1990s, when Los Angeles was hit with the fires, the flood, the earthquake, and the riots, have I seen such disaster occur here in our city," Hochman said at the briefing, referring to the Northridge Earthquake and the disturbances in the wake of the Rodney King verdict.

Two of the largest fires, the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire, are still at zero percent containment, officials said. The National Weather Service predicted the "red flag warning" that signals high fire danger will persist for LA County and nearby Ventura County through Friday.

But there was some brightening on the horizon: Officials said weather conditions are beginning to turn favorably for firefighters.

Fire hazard sign below the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles
Signs warn of potential fire danger beneath the Hollywood sign on Thursday.

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Meanwhile, 20 people have been arrested on suspicion of looting in areas affected by the fires, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at Thursday's briefing.

And he issued a stern warning to the public: Anyone who remains in areas under mandatory evacuation orders is guilty of a misdemeanor, and his officers will begin enforcing that. Beyond that, crimes like looting could reach the felony level, he said.

As for people still in their homes, around 95,000 power customers remain in the dark, Janisse QuiΓ±ones, the CEO and chief engineer of the city's Department of Water and Power, said. Satellite images showed the destruction in the wake of the fires.

Here's a look at the latest happenings in the main fires spreading throughout the area:

Palisades Fire

Beachfront homes are destroyed
Beachfront homes are destroyed by the Palisades Fire.

Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area north of Santa Monica was the first fire to strike the region on Tuesday morning. It has spread to over 17,000 acres, with zero percent containment, making it one of the worst natural disasters in LA history, officials said Thursday morning.

The blaze has reduced thousands of structures to rubble, but exact numbers are not yet known, the officials said.

Wind gusts in the area have tamed down some since their Tuesday highs of nearly 100 mph but remain up to 60 mph. They're expected to continue through Thursday.

Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley would not confirm reports that the fire started in a resident's garden, saying the origin is still under investigation.

The affluent area is home to many celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal, who have lost their homes in the blaze.

Eaton Fire

Man walks along burned-out street in Los Angeles County
A man walks past a fire-ravaged business after the Eaton Fire swept through on Wednesday.

AP Photo/Ethan Swope

The second-largest fire in Los Angeles County is the Eaton Fire, which started on Tuesday evening in the Pasadena-Altadena area at the foothills of the Angeles National Forest.

The blaze has spread to over 10,000 acres and reduced at least 1,000 homes to ash as of Thursday, officials said. Like the Palisades Fire, it is zero percent contained.

Still, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the fire's growth has been "significantly stopped," and the cause remains unknown.

Hurst Fire

Hurst Fire in California
The Hurst fire burned in the hills above the Sylmar area of Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Hurst Fire, which began late on Tuesday night in the northern part of the San Fernando Valley, has spread to around 855 acres, according to data from CalFire, a state agency.

LAFD's Crowley said the Hurst Fire was zero percent contained, while CalFire data estimates it is 10% contained.

Crowley said firefighters have been able to hold the fire within a containment area and have established a perimeter.

Sunset Fire and others

image of firefighters in front of truck
Firefighters stopped the forward progress of the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills.

Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

The Sunset Fire broke out in the Runyan Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, quickly spreading to scorch over 40 acres and threaten major LA landmarks.

As of Thursday morning, firefighters were able to stop the fire's forward progress, Crowley said. Crews are still working to "put out spot fires within the perimeters to keep the wind from spreading any additional embers," she said.

All evacuation orders related to the Sunset Fire were lifted as of 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Crowley said.

Meanwhile, a large structure fire broke out nearby, consuming two large homes in the Studio City area. Still, firefighters were able to stop its forward growth at just one acre and prevent another brushfire, Crowley said.

Yet another fire, the Lidia Fire, started Wednesday afternoon in Acton near the Antelope Valley, about 20 miles northeast of the San Fernando Valley. It spread to consume 348 acres but has been 40% contained, with forward progress stopped, county fire chief Marrone said.

One of this week's fires has been 100% contained. The Woodley Fire, which began Wednesday morning in the southern part of the San Fernando Valley, has been suppressed and there are no current threats, Crowley said. Patrols are monitoring the area for any flare-ups, she added.

This a developing story. Please refresh for updates.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Satellite images show the scale of the destruction from LA's wildfires

9 January 2025 at 07:13
A satellite image taken by Maxar Technologies shows the Eaton fire burning homes in Altadena on January 8, 2025.
Satellite imagery of the Eaton fire destroying homes in Altadena, California, on Wednesday.

Satellite image @2025 Maxar Technologies

  • Major fires are burning throughout the Los Angeles area, destroying thousands of buildings.
  • Satellite images show flames wreaking havoc on houses and other structures.
  • At least five people have died, and more than 100,000 residents were ordered to evacuate Wednesday.

At least five people have died and more than 100,000 have been ordered to evacuate as uncontrolled fires burn through parts of Los Angeles into a third day.

Five separate fires are sweeping through parts of the city and the surrounding areas, with one of the biggest blazes, the Palisades fire, expected to be the costliest in US history.

Satellite images provided to Business Insider by Maxar Technologies show the trail of destruction the fires have left in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, two of the most heavily affected areas.

Houses burned to the ground in Altadena
Before and after images captured by Maxar Technologies show houses burning down in the Altadena residential neighborhood on January 8, 2025.
Before and after images showing the destruction of houses in Altadena, California, as of Wednesday.

Satellite image @2025 Maxar Technologies

Satellite images show houses burned down in the Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles, one of the areas most affected by the Eaton fire.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as of 3 a.m. Thursday local time, the fire had burned 10,600 acres in the area and continued to grow with 0% containment.

Palisades fire burning through western Los Angeles
Blended view of fires at the summit of Pacific Palisades on January 8, 2025.
Fires at the summit of Pacific Palisades on Wednesday.

Satellite image @2025 Maxar Technologies

Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, has also been devastated.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Palisades fire had consumed about 17,234 acres with 0% containment as of 4 a.m. Thursday.

The Palisades fire alone has already become the most destructive fire ever to hit Los Angeles County, CNN reported Wednesday, citing Cal Fire data.

East Altadena Drive
The before-after photo shows houses and buildings on fire on East Altadena Drive in Los Angeles on January 8, 2025.
Before and after photos of East Altadena Drive in Los Angeles.

Satellite image @2025 Maxar Technologies

Houses and buildings on East Altadena Drive are almost unrecognizable in the image above from Wednesday.

Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles said during a press conference Wednesday evening that residents could receive more evacuation orders as wind conditions continued to be "strong and erratic."

In an X post in the early hours of Thursday, she said firefighters would be working throughout the night to battle the blazes.

Tuna Canyon Road closed until further notice
Structures were on fire on the Tuna Canyon Road in these before and after images captured by Maxar Technologies on January 8, 2025.
Tuna Canyon Road ablaze on Wednesday.

Satellite image @2025 Maxar Technologies

Tuna Canyon Road, which connects Malibu and Topanga, was covered in smoke Wednesday, and fires burned through nearby buildings.

In an X post on Wednesday night, the California Department of Transportation said highways were fully closed at various locations because of fires or wind-related incidents.

Meanwhile, ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft were offering free rides to evacuation centers.

A historic windstorm
A satellite image of Eaton fire burning through Altadena.
The Eaton fire burning through buildings in Altadena on Wednesday.

Maxar Technologies

The fires are still burning, and satellite imagery from Wednesday showed the scale of the fires in Altadena.

The National Weather Service called the windstorm "life-threatening and destructive."

Courtney Carpenter, a warning-coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said the fires would likely continue over the coming days.

"We're not out of the woods yet," she said, pointing to winds expected to continue through Friday afternoon and dry weather conditions.

Correction: January 9, 2025 β€” An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of a warning-coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service. She's Courtney Carpenter, not Courtney Carpen.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Yesterday β€” 8 January 2025Main stream

'Our entire town appears to be gone': 3 wildfire evacuees describe the devastation in Los Angeles

8 January 2025 at 15:34
Firefighters stand in front of a house engulfed in flames
Fires in and around Los Angeles have destroyed over 1,000 structures, left at least two dead, and displaced tens of thousands of others. Business Insider spoke with 3 people impacted by the fires firsthand.

Apu Gomes/Getty Images

  • Multiple blazes raged out of control in Los Angeles and Southern California Wednesday.
  • Business Insider spoke with three residents about their experiences fleeing the scene.
  • They called it terrifying, devastating, and apocalyptic.

The fires storming through Los Angeles and Southern California have left over 1,000 structures burned, at least two people dead, and tens of thousands of others displaced as they heed mandatory evacuation orders.

Business Insider spoke with three people who encountered the devastating impacts of the blaze firsthand. Their words have been edited for length and clarity.

'I don't know where everyone in our community is going to go'

Alisa Wolfson, a journalist, lives in the Palisades with her husband and two daughters, ages 7 and 10. They evacuated to a friend's home and then the Beverly Hilton before losing their home in the fire.

My husband and I both grew up in the Palisades and bought our home there in 2018. My mom's still there, too. We love our neighborhood, and there's a strong sense of community. There's a reason that it's impossible to buy in and that Bill Hader lives on our street. It was like a storybook β€” too good to be true.

I was sitting in my home office Tuesday looking out the window when a girlfriend called me to see if I had heard that there was a fire nearby. I looked up and saw a little thing of smoke, but I thought we'd be fine. Within 10 minutes, it grew beyond what I ever thought was possible. I went out to the street and could see that the nearby hillside was engulfed in flames. I called my husband at work and said, "You need to come home right now."

Very quickly, it turned into all of our neighbors on the street throwing things in their cars and driving off. It was terrifying. I grabbed our dog Gus and just as I was leaving, my neighbor across the street called and asked me to pick up her dog since she wasn't home. I went back into my house, got her key, and put her dog in the car.

Smoke from the LA wildfire covered the sky of the Palisades community in California.
Smoke descended upon the neighborhood.

Photo courtesy of Alisa Wolfson

A friend whose daughter goes to the same school as mine picked our girls up, and we met at her house, which was just outside the evacuation zone. We put all the dogs in the yard, and the girls played with their friends. I thought we'd just camp out for a few hours β€” but then things started to look terrible really quickly. Around 1 p.m., my husband borrowed our friend's e-bike and rode to our house to see if there was anything he could do and to grab a few things left behind. He saw tons of smoke, firemen, and the hillsides burning β€” it was really wild.

We stayed at our friend's house until they lost power, then checked into the Beverly Hilton. It was like all of West Los Angeles had descended upon the hotel β€” it took 40 minutes just to pull into the driveway.

We paid $560 for the night for a room with two beds, which doesn't seem outrageous to me. They've been wonderful here. They greeted everyone in line, handing out water bottles. Henry Winkler was checking in ahead of me, and Cisco Adler's here. It's like a real LA tale. My mom is staying in the room next door with her dog β€” the number of dogs in this hotel right now is insane.

The long check-in line at the Beverly Hilton.
The check-in line at the Beverly Hilton.

Photo courtesy of Alisa Wolfson

The front page of the LA Times featured a house on our street in flames. The images looked apocalyptic. Our daughters kept asking, "Is our house safe?" but we weren't sure.

This afternoon, a neighbor who rode his bike into the neighborhood confirmed it: We've lost our home. Our neighbors have been texting that they have too. I'm utterly devastated and in a state of shock, barely functional. I haven't been able to break the news to my daughters yet. I don't know where everyone in our community is going to go. Our entire town appears to be gone.

This isn't something that should be happening. People need to elect local officials who really care about the climate and do what's needed to prepare for or prevent events like this. Last night, my husband asked me, "Where do you think you want to spend the rest of your life?" We have family in Connecticut, and last night it crossed my mind β€” do we just bail and start fresh? I don't know. For now, we're just taking it hour by hour.

'It was like the apocalypse, in a way''

Katie Cassidy, an actor and close friend of Alisa Wolfson, lives three minutes away from Wolfson in the Palisades. On Tuesday afternoon, she and her significant other evacuated to her parents' home in another part of Los Angeles.

My significant other, who is Canadian, woke up around 10:15 a.m. and said, "Oh my gosh, this weather is so beautiful, and the wind is so nice," and I was like, "Oh no, wind is not good." I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so I'm aware of fires and the Santa Ana winds, especially around this time of year.

I went outside and smelled smoke. My close friend Alisa lives up the street, so I called to check on her and her family. Moments later, firetruck after firetruck and helicopter after helicopter passed by. My gut knew that this was not good. I started to pack away our things and valuables.

We kept our eye on the situation. There were more helicopters and more smoke. The sky turned darker and red, and we started seeing ashes.

Around noon, my partner looked out the window and said, "Babe, there are people running down the streets with their suitcases and bags and kids and strollers." We threw everything in the car, brought our cats and dog, and left.

Luckily, my parents live in another part of Los Angeles, so we came here. We later saw on the news that the people we saw running down the street were people who'd abandoned their cars on Sunset Boulevard because they were stuck in traffic. It was really terrifying and devastating to see; it was like the apocalypse, in a way.

I wish I would've left earlier. I was trying to get a better gauge of what was going on and trying not to panic. People need to be aware and not be stubborn and stay in their homes thinking it'll never happen because it will; it's happened to me. I don't know if our house is still there, but if it isn't, it'll be the second home I've lived in that has burned to the ground in LA; my childhood home in Bell Canyon burned down in a fire some years after we sold it.

Even though my parents' place is safe at the moment, the winds can change. Our bags are packed, and we're ready to move with our fur babies when and if need be. At the end of the day, we're just grateful to be alive.

'There's only so much you can take'

Adam Wood, a 45-year-old film producer, director, and editor, lives in North Hollywood and helped his friend evacuate from Pasadena early Wednesday morning.

Everyone was aware there was a fire building in Altadena around late Tuesday afternoon, and we've had issues up there before. My friend has an urban farm up there that houses rabbits, pigs, and chickens. My thoughts and concerns were with him β€” if he had to get out, he'd need as much help as possible. I went over there in the early evening Tuesday to help.

Flames and smoke near a Californian neighborhood.
The view from the house as Adam and his friend fled.

Photo courtesy of Adam Wood

At first, evacuators didn't think the fire would come down toward where we were, but at around 2:45 in the morning, we got the evacuation order through an alert on the phone. Then a fire official knocked on the door, and we had about half an hour to pack as much as we could, including a young pig, into the back of my friend's Tesla.

Thankfully, we got everyone out, and all the animals got out OK. My friend had already packed his documents and anything of physical value in his wife's SUV and his Tesla. The chickens were huddled together in one cage, and the rabbits were also hutched in one of the cars.

A pig on the urban farm in its pen.
The pig was evacuated in the back of a Tesla.

Photo courtesy of Adam Wood

His wife and two kids were also there, and they all took a bunch of personal items, a suitcase each, and some computers. Of course, there's only so much you can take. The cars were jam-packed, but much of their personal property had to be left behind.

As we drove away, it was pretty hectic given that it was a rush and the whole neighborhood was also leaving at the same time. Thankfully it wasn't replicable to the scenes in the Palisades where people abandoned their cars. But the glow of the fires was visible on the horizon, and smoke filled the air.

The view of Pasadena and Altadena from 10 miles away.
The view of Pasadena and Altadena from 10 miles away.

Photo courtesy of Adam Wood

He lives in a very nice house, and God knows if that still exists.

Now, there is the Woodley fire, which is closer to my home, so we are keeping a watchful eye on my place and hoping we won't need to evacuate ourselves.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Polymarket is taking bets on the Palisades fire in California

8 January 2025 at 14:24
a house on fire
A home destroyed as fire tears through the Palisades area on January 8.

Eric Thayer/Getty Images

  • Polymarket lets people bet on a variety of things, like election outcomes and pop culture events.
  • It's also taking bets on the Palisades fire in California β€” with at least nine different wagers.
  • Polymarket says the wisdom of the crowd can lend "unbiased forecasts for the most important events impacting society."

As the Palisades fire is still tearing through parts of the Los Angeles area on Wednesday, Polymarket β€” the prediction market platform β€” is allowing people to place wagers on certain elements of the disaster.

There were at least nine different predictions you could place money on as of Wednesday afternoon that were related to the fire. The topic had its own trending module on the site.

One question asked: "Will the Palisades fire be contained by Friday?" Only 2% of bets said yes. (California officials said Wednesday morning that the fires raging through California are "zero percent" contained. Two people have been reported dead in the wake of the disaster.)

There's a 52% chance the Palisades fires are at least 50% contained by Sunday. pic.twitter.com/1lxml2hW4K

β€” Polymarket (@Polymarket) January 8, 2025

Each wager has its own page on the site β€” and on those pages with bets related to the fire was a disclaimer from Polymarket.

The disclaimer reads:

Note on Palisades Wildfire Markets: The promise of prediction markets is to harness the wisdom of the crowd to create accurate, unbiased forecasts for the most important events impacting society. The devastating Pacific Palisades fire is one such event, for which Polymarket can yield invaluable real-time answers to those directly impacted in ways traditional media cannot.
Note: There are no fees on this market.

On its site, Polymarket says that users can submit suggestions for markets, but a new prediction market, like the ones about the fire, can only be created by Polymarket.

A spokesperson for Polymarket told Business Insider: "Polymarket charges no fees β€” and generates no revenue β€” from these markets and provides them as a service to those looking for unbiased and up-to-date information during fast-moving events."

Other wagers available as of Wednesday:

  • "Palisades fire burns 10,000 acres by Friday?" (Bettors said this was 99% "yes.")
  • "Will Palisades fire spread to Santa Monica by Sunday?" (Bettors gave this a 14% chance.)

So far, it appears the markets have drawn only small bets, with one question drawing a little more than $8,000 and another drawing more than $30,000, according to tallies on the site.

Polymarket, where bets are placed in crypto, became popular during the 2024 election. It showed the odds of Donald Trump winning far above what traditional polls were showing.

In addition to politics and sports, Polymarket offers bets on news and pop culture topics like Oscar nominations or the odds of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce getting engaged this year.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Insurers dropped fire coverage for California homes months ago. Now, wildfires are claiming more houses in Los Angeles.

8 January 2025 at 13:12
California wildfires
A man talks on a phone as a wildfire approaches Carlsbad, California, in 2014.

REUTERS/Mike Blake

  • Some homes affected by the Los Angeles wildfires might not have insurance.
  • Insurers have been canceling plans and declining to sign new ones in the state.
  • Years of worsening wildfires have increased payouts and other costs for insurers in California.

As wildfires destroy homes in Los Angeles, some homeowners might face rebuilding without insurance payouts.

That's because some insurance companies have been cutting back on their business in California in recent years as wildfires in the state have worsened.

State Farm, for instance, said in 2023 that it would no longer accept new homeowners' insurance applications in California. Then, last year, the company said it would end coverage for 72,000 homes and apartments in the state. Both announcements cited risks from catastrophes as one of the reasons for the decisions.

Homes in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, one of the areas hardest hit by the fires so far, were among those affected when State Farm canceled the policies last year, the Los Angeles Times reported in April. State Farm did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Other home insurers have dropped coverage in the state, even in areas where the wildfire risk is low, NBC Bay Area reported in September.

"When insurance companies face higher losses or payouts, they typically respond in two ways: raise premium prices and stop renewing policies or writing new policies," Dave Jones, the director of the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Law said in a September Q&A posted to the university's website. "California insurers are doing both."

Between 2011 and 2018, Jones was also California's insurance commissioner.

A new rule, set to take effect about a month into 2025, will require home insurers to offer coverage in areas at high risk of fire, the Associated Press reported in December. Ricardo Lara, California's insurance commissioner, announced the rule just days before the Los Angeles fires broke out.

At a press conference on Wednesday, one reporter asked Lindsey Horvath, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, whether the Los Angeles fires would affect insurance companies' operations in California.

"I believe it already has, and the conversation is ongoing," Horvath said.

Read the original article on Business Insider

What fueled the LA wildfires now tearing through some of America's most expensive homes

2 firefighters spray water on homes going up in flames
Firefighters battle fires razing beachfront homes along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu in the Palisades Fire.

MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images/MediaNews Group via Getty Images

  • Firestorms in Los Angeles have burned nearly 27,000 acres, destroying homes and killing five people.
  • One of the biggest blazes, the Palisades Fire, could be the costliest in US history.
  • The fires have spread so fast in part because of a windstorm and flood-drought whiplash.

All was well in Los Angeles at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Less than 24 hours later, 2,925 acres of the Pacific Palisades were ablaze in what is being called the worst wildfire in Southern California since 2011. It has grown by orders of magnitude since.

Several more blazes have ignited in the area, with one, the Eaton Fire, engulfing another 10,600 acres.

Firefighters had not contained the fires as of early Thursday morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom told CNN that five people were dead, and "likely more."

More than 1,000 structures have burned and the fires could get even worse.

California is no stranger to fires, but this situation is different and especially dangerous for a few reasons.

An 'urban firestorm' that could be the costliest in history

orange sky amid palm trees on fire being blown in the wind
High winds spread the fires' flames across California.

AP Photo/Ethan Swope

Few brush fires in California history have intruded into such vast areas of dense, urban housing.

The UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain called it an "urban firestorm" as he assessed live images of the developing Eaton Fire on Tuesday morning.

Perhaps the best historical comparison is the 1991 Tunnel Fire, which raged through more than 1,500 acres of Oakland, but it was smaller than either of the two giant blazes in Los Angeles. It killed 25 people and injured 150, and ranks as the third-deadliest and third-most-destructive fire in California history.

The true toll of this week's fires won't be clear until later.

Swain said that he and several colleagues have estimated that the Palisades Fire could be the costliest on record in the US because of the number of structures burning and the fact that those homes are some of the most expensive in the world.

"We are looking at what is, I think, likely to become the costliest wildfire disaster in California, if not national history, along with a number of other superlatives," Swain said.

A historic windstorm spread the fire fast

blue house on fire with smoke and flames billowing from roof
The homes at risk include some of the most expensive real-estate in the world.

AP Photo/Eugene Garcia

A powerful windstorm buffeted the flames throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, with gusts of wind reaching up to 90 miles an hour, according to the National Weather Service.

During a 2 Β½ hour period overnight, the Palisades Fire's size more than doubled, per the fire service's reports.

The winds were so powerful on Tuesday evening that water- and retardant-dropping aircraft could not fly.

It's a phenomenon that scientists have warned about: a deadly combination of high winds and dry, open land β€” such as the brushland now being swept by flames in Los Angeles β€” amounting to fires that move faster than emergency responders can keep up with.

"It's certainly unusual how fast it's grown," Douglas Kelley, a researcher at the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, told Business Insider. "It's definitely a lot faster than I guess a lot of people were expecting in the area at the time."

A study published in Science in October found that while only about 3% of US fires over a nearly two-decade period could be considered "fast fires," they caused disproportionate damage.

"The most destructive and deadly wildfires in US history were also fast," wrote the study's authors, led by University of Colorado Boulder's Jennifer Balch.

Between 2001 and 2020, fast fires accounted for 78% of fire-destroyed buildings and a full 61% of suppression costs β€” or $18.9 billion, the scientists wrote. And they are getting more frequent, the study said.

The windstorm was bad luck. But the other primary factor in the fires' rapid explosions β€” the fuel β€” is strongly linked to the climate crisis.

Weather whiplash made abundant fire fuel

a beautiful staircase remains surrounded by debris and flames
The remains of a home's staircase in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

AP Photo/Ethan Swope

Southern California has experienced heavy rainfall and flooding the past two winters β€” which is a huge part of the problem.

Abundant rainfall spurred an explosion of grasses and brush, the primary fire fuel in Southern California. Then, with very little rainfall in the past few months, all that vegetation was flash-dried.

Kelley said those dry conditions made the Palisades especially susceptible to a fast-spreading fire.

This is part of a growing phenomenon that Swain calls "hydroclimate whiplash," or weather whiplash. As global temperatures rise, many parts of the world, especially California, are seeing more violent swings between extreme wet and extreme dry conditions.

The same confluence of weather whiplash and extreme winds was behind the Camp Fire, Swain said. That November 2018 blaze in Paradise, California, was the deadliest and most destructive in the state's history, destroying 18,804 structures and killing 85 people.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Before yesterdayMain stream

Latest: LA wildfires torch the city for a third day, 27,000 acres burn unchecked

By: BI Staff
9 January 2025 at 07:19
A satellite image of Eaton fire burning through Altadena.
A satellite image taken by Maxar Technologies shows the Eaton fire in Altadena, California, on January 8, 2025.

Maxar Technologies

  • Multiple major fires are tearing through parts of the Los Angeles area.
  • The Palisades fire has burned through over 17,000 acres as of Thursday morning.
  • A new fire broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills.

Emergency personnel across the Los Angeles area are battling multiple major fires.

Officials have ordered over 130,000 people to evacuate, five people have been reported dead, and over a thousand structures have been destroyed.

Images of people escaping their homes, abandoning their cars, and searching for safe harbor spread across television and social media on Wednesday.

And it's showing little sign of slowing down, officials said. Dry conditions combined with high wind gusts of more than 90 miles per hour have helped fuel the multiple fires burning around the metropolitan area.

Five separate fires are now sweeping through parts of the region in and around Los Angeles after a new fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills, near the iconic Hollywood sign, on Wednesday evening. The fire forced the LA fire chief to leave in the middle of a press conference.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said during a press conference Wednesday evening that residents may receive more evacuation orders as wind conditions continue to be "strong and erratic."

In an X post in the early hours of Thursday morning, Bass said firefighters would be working through the night battling blazes in Los Angeles for the second night in a row.

"Our entire town appears to be gone," one Palisades resident told Business Insider.

According to AccuWeather's preliminary estimates, the cost of the fires could reach almost $60 billion.

Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather's chief meteorologist, said it's already one of the worst wildfires in California history.

Ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft have offered free rides to evacuation centers for Los Angeles residents.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday that his company will be providing "free Starlink terminals to affected areas."

Schools in Los Angeles will be closed on Thursday, impacting more than half a million students, LA Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.

The Eaton fire, impacting the Pasadena-Altadena region, has burned about 10,600 acres and continues to grow with 0% containment, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a press conference on Wednesday. The Hurst fire, in the north of the region near San Fernando, covers over 700 acres.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, over 26,978 acres had been burned as of 1:45 a.m. Thursday, with the Palisades Fire burning 17,234 acres, with 0% containment.

Evacuation orders and warnings continued to be issued throughout Wednesday evening, including a notice for residents living near the Hollywood Hills.

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin said Wednesday afternoon that he hoped milder wind conditions overnight would allow for more aircraft and additional resources to be directed at the Eaton fire.

"That's what gives me confidence that we're going to get a handle on this fire," he said.

people walk through stalled cars blocking a road through orange smoky air with bright flames in the background just off the road
People flee from the advancing Palisades Fire, by car and on foot.

AP Photo/Etienne Laurent

By Thursday morning, at least 130,000 people had been evacuated, a representative for CalFire told BI.

Five people have died as a result of the Eaton fire, the spokesperson said. Two firefighters were reported to have minor injuries.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, and announced that the state had secured federal assistance from FEMA to support the fire response.

"There's no fire season. It's fire year," Newsom said at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, noting other fires California has faced in recent months, including the Franklin and Mountain fires. "It's year-round."

He issued an executive order on Wednesday evening to provide additional support to communities affected, and told CNN that the death toll was likely to rise.

In an X post in the early hours of Thursday, Newsom said more than 7,500 firefighting personnel, 1,162 fire engines, 6 air tankers, 31 helicopters, and 53 dozers had been deployed.

He also urged Southern California residents to remain vigilant, listen to local officials, and be ready to evacuate if they are near impacted areas.

Historic windstorm is 'worst possible scenario'

Officials have not yet determined how the fires started, but they began during a high-risk major windstorm. Combined with low humidity and dry vegetation in the region, the winds created a perfect storm for fire ignition.

High winds were "making it extremely challenging" for firefighters on the scene, Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley said, leaving them unable to air-drop water onto the fires Wednesday morning. But by the afternoon, water-dropping aircraft had returned to the skies.

The National Weather Service called the windstorm "life-threatening and destructive" and warned that these could be the strongest north winds in 14 years.

Firefighters fight the flames from the Palisades Fire burning the Theatre Palisades during a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The fast-moving wildfire is threatening homes in the coastal neighborhood amid intense Santa Ana Winds and dry conditions in Southern California.
Experts say the dry winds helped fuel the fire.

Apu Gomes/Getty Images

The Palisades fire alone has already become the most destructive fire ever to hit Los Angeles County, CNN reported, citing CalFire data.

Courtney Carpen, a warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said that while the worst winds had passed in southern California, "we're not out of the woods yet."

She said gusty winds are expected to continue through Friday afternoon and weather conditions to remain critically dry.

Tourist landmarks close as smoke chokes LA

The Los Angeles area is a huge tourist draw, attracting nearly 50 million visitors a year.

The fires forced some Los Angeles-area landmarks to close, including the Hollywood sign, the Los Angeles Zoo, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal CityWalk, and the Griffith Observatory.

Even miles from the fires in South Los Angeles, smoke reduced visibility to just one block, officials said.

Smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire fill the sky as seen from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California during daylight on January 07, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Palisades Fire has grown to over 2,900 acres and 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate while a second fire has emerged near Eaton Canyon
Smoke and flames from the Palisades Fire on Tuesday.

TIffany Rose/Getty Images

Airbnb told CNN that it would be allowing refunds for bookings in areas affected by the wildfires, following a viral social media post from a customer who said the company refused to offer her a refund.

A National Hockey League game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Calgary Flames, scheduled Wednesday night at Crypto.com arena, was postponed.

The 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards, set for Sunday night, were also rescheduled, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Meanwhile, police made arrests for looting in areas affected by the fires, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday.

Evacuees abandoned cars as traffic stalled

Palisades Drive, the major road out of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, was already packed with slow-moving lines of cars shortly after noon Tuesday, as people evacuated beneath a smoky haze and bright-orange flames licked the hillside in the distance, shown live on ABC7.

CalFire reported that the fire was on both sides of Palisades Drive.

ABC7 spoke to multiple people who were evacuating on foot, including some who had abandoned their cars on the road.

One resident told the news channel that "a whole bunch of neighbors" were stuck in their homes on Palisades Drive.

firefighters spraying flames in orange smoke outside homes
Firefighters battle the Palisades Fire.

AP Photo/Etienne Laurent

Jonathan Vigliotti, a CBS News correspondent who was on the ground as a neighborhood went up in flames, said on X that there was "mass panic in the streets."

The City of Pasadena has issued a water alert, advising against using tap water for drinking and cooking in the impacted areas until further notice, saying the water system may be compromised by "debris and elevated turbidity."

Read the original article on Business Insider

❌
❌