(Bloomberg) — Wildfires broke out in Los Angeles County as the region — already gripped by drought — began facing hurricane-force winds forecast to rage for days.
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One blaze erupted in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and quickly jumped to 200 acres, threatening homes and triggering evacuation orders. Traffic on Palisades Drive gridlocked as residents fled the fast-moving fire, with some people abandoning their cars and walking past palm trees engulfed in flames, live video from KTLA 5 showed. From the Venice Beach Boardwalk, a fire-fighting plane could be seen skimming above the ocean, scooping up water and returning to the Palisades to drop it. Surfers bobbed in the Pacific, watching the smoke from afar.
As of noon local time, the fire was uncontained and approaching the coastal communities of Santa Monica and Malibu, which survived a wildfire last month that destroyed 20 homes and structures and damaged 28 more.
In addition, a small fire was reported shortly after 10 am local time in West Hollywood, near the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. The fire was quickly knocked down and fully contained, according to Captain Gayle Sonoda, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The blazes began as Southern California braced for a Santa Ana wind storm that could bring gusts as high as 100 miles (161 kilometers) per hour and last for days. The region has received almost no rain for months, leaving grass and brush primed to burn.
“We are no strangers to winter-time wildfire threats,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement before the winds arrived Monday. “So I ask all Californians to pay attention to local authorities and be prepared to evacuate if told to go.”
Dangerous winds
The US National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings that extend from central California’s coast to the US-Mexico border. Forecasters are warning of a “particularly dangerous situation,” which is the most severe level of fire alert, in Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, Malibu and the densely-populated San Fernando Valley.
Malibu schools were closed Tuesday, according to a post to the district’s official X account, and local preschools were keeping children indoors to avoid the threat of flying debris. The California Department of Transportation closed the main road through wooded Topanga Canyon near Malibu, a popular shortcut with commuters.
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Winds are expected to peak Tuesday through early Wednesday afternoon, with the strongest gusts expected to scour the San Fernando Valley and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Weather Service forecasters have warned residents to expect downed trees and power lines, as well as widespread power outages.
The largest electric utility in Southern California has started turning off power to customers in an effort to prevent wildfires amid the strong winds. Edison International’s Southern California utility shut off electricity to about 4,800 homes and businesses in Los Angeles and Ventura counties as of 1 pm local time, according to the utility’s website. It said it may need to cut power to an additional 413,447 customers if Santa Ana winds become exceptionally strong.
The weather conditions have affected President Joe Biden’s schedule. He was set to travel from Los Angeles to Thermal, California, to deliver remarks near the Coachella Valley, but has been grounded due to the winds and weather-related issues. Biden was slated to announce two new national monuments that will protect 848,000 acres of lands in California.
–With assistance from John Gittelsohn, Skylar Woodhouse and Michelle Ma.
(Updates with new details throughout.)
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