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LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Tens of thousands of residents in the western Los Angeles area were under mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday evening as a wind-driven wildfire exploded in size and swept through communities in the Pacific Palisades.
The Palisades Fire was first reported around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive. By evening, the fire had exploded to more than 2,900 acres and was expected to keep spreading amid hurricane-force Santa Ana winds.
There was no containment, according to CalFire.
There was no initial estimate for the number of structures damaged or destroyed. However, news footage showed dozens of homes and other structures ablaze.
Evacuations were ordered for the entire Palisades community down to the Pacific Ocean, according to CalFire. During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, officials said more than 10,000 homes in Pacific Palisades and Malibu were affected by the evacuation order. Evacuation warnings also extended into areas of Santa Monica and Calabasas.
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The Palisades Fire ravages a neighborhood amid high winds in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Flames rise as the Palisades Fire advances on homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Water is dropped on the advancing Palisades Fire by helicopter in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7, 2025. (Getty Images) -
Plumes of smoke are seen as a brush fire burns in Pacific Palisades as seen from Santa Monica, California on January 7, 2025. (Getty Images) -
View of the Palisades Fire from LAX on Jan. 7, 2025. (KTLA) -
A palm tree is seen burning during the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2025. (KTLA) -
An ALERTCalifornia camera view of a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles County. Jan. 7, 2024. (ALERTCalifornia) -
A firefighter tries to extinguish a fire as it damages a property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo) -
Firefighters work to extinguish flames engulfing a home as a brush fire rages in Pacific Palisades, California, on January 7, 2025. (Getty Images) -
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A firefighter jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
An evacuation shelter for people and pets was established at the Westwood Recreation Center at 1350 S. Sepulveda Boulevard.
At a Tuesday afternoon press conference, fire and law enforcement officials, City and County leaders, and Gov. Gavin Newsom discussed the adverse conditions that led to the Palisades Fire raging out of control.
Newsom called the fire a “hell of a way to start the New Year.”
Hundreds of firefighters from across the region were battling the blaze. Local law enforcement assisted with traffic control and evacuations, with the Los Angeles Police Department providing more than 100 officers to assist their counterparts.
“So far, the major job for our people have been evacuation, traffic control, allowing ingress and egress to emergency vehicles,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said. “I would have an ask that if you would, please do everything you can to open up the streets so we can get the resources we need to be able to deal with this emergency.”
L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson echoed those statements, urging Angelenos to stay off the roads, even in areas that haven’t been affected by the blaze.
“The worst and most severe part of this wind event is yet to come,” Harris-Dawson said. “So if you’re around the city and you have been spared, be thankful, but also be on guard. Bring your lawn furniture in and again, help us by staying off the roads.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Pacific Palisades is located about 10 miles from Malibu, where the Franklin Fire burned more than 4,000 acres and burned several homes after erupting during similar windy conditions in December.
Palisades Fire Resources: LAFD Alerts | CALFIRE Incident Page | LAFD on X
