As dawn breaks over Los Angeles, the city faces a grim reality after a night marked by raging wildfires. Thick clouds of smoke blanket the sky, and thousands of residents have been forced to
evacuate as flames swept through multiple neighborhoods.
This is being called the most destructive wildfire event in the city’s history, with five large fires burning in different parts of the sprawling metropolis.
So far, five lives have been lost, and evacuation orders or warnings are affecting approximately 130,000 residents.
There’s a glimmer of hope this Thursday morning: calmer winds have allowed firefighters to conduct critical aerial water drops, raising hopes of slowing the fires' spread. However, the threat remains high, as gusts could return later in the day, and the scale of the fires makes containment a formidable challenge.
The Five Major Fires
Palisades Fire: The largest of the current blazes, it has engulfed 17,200 acres in the Pacific Palisades area, stretching between Malibu and Santa Monica. As of now, it remains completely uncontained, according to Cal Fire.
Eaton Fire: Burning across 10,600 acres, this fire has ravaged much of the Altadena neighborhood, causing widespread destruction.
Hurst and Lidia Fires: These two fires are raging in the San Fernando Valley, covering 855 acres and 348 acres, respectively.
Sunset Fire: The newest wildfire, the Sunset Fire, erupted in the upscale Hollywood Hills neighborhood, scorching 43 acres as of the latest report.
Mass Evacuations Underway
Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued around the epicenter of each blaze, impacting over 100,000 residents. Late Wednesday, the city of Santa Monica declared an emergency order, which included a curfew from sunset to sunrise in areas under evacuation orders. However, by late Wednesday night, fire activity in Hollywood decreased significantly, allowing officials to lift most evacuation orders in the Sunset Fire area.
Widespread Destruction of Homes and Businesses
The Palisades and Eaton Fires have already destroyed nearly 2,000 buildings, and officials warn that the number could rise. Satellite imagery captured on Wednesday morning showed that the Eaton Fire had engulfed nearly every structure in western Altadena.
A Welcome Break from High Winds
Fire crews battling the Palisades Fire were relieved Thursday morning as strong winds, which had been driving the flames and spreading embers over long distances, finally subsided. “This break in the winds is exactly what we needed to start gaining some control over the fire,” said Brent Pascua, a battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
School Closures in Affected Areas
Due to the ongoing wildfire crisis, 16 school districts in Los Angeles County, including the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), have shut down operations for the day. LAUSD, the largest school district in California and the second-largest in the nation, cited safety concerns as the primary reason for the closures.
This is the current state of play as Los Angeles continues to battle these devastating wildfires. Firefighters are working tirelessly, and while there’s hope with calmer winds, the situation remains fluid. Residents are urged to stay alert and follow evacuation orders closely. Photo by U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Wikimedia commons.
