A fast-moving brush fire that started Tuesday in Los Angeles threatened homes and forced over 30,000 residents to evacuate from Pacific Palisades and the area north of Santa Monica.
The evacuations prompted city and state officials to declare a state of emergency. Hours later, a second blaze broke out, forcing more evacuations as dangerous hurricane-like winds continued throughout Southern California late into the evening.
The fire started Tuesday morning at about 10:30 a.m. local time quickly grew to nearly 3,000 acres by 6:30 p.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). Smoke and flames rose from the area as fire crews battled the blaze.
Over 10,000 homes were threatened by the Palisades fire, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
“This is a highly dangerous windstorm that’s creating extreme fire risk – and we’re not out of the woods,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We’re already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes.”
President Joe Biden, who is in Los Angeles, has been briefed on the situation, according to the White House.
The president “encourages residents in the affected areas to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials—especially if ordered to evacuate,” the White House said in statement.
Late Tuesday, Santa Monica also issued a mandatory evacuation for a portion of the city north of San Vicente Boulevard, saying there was an “immediate threat to life.”
KABC reported that both a high school, Pacific Palisades Charter High School, and a playhouse nearby, the Theatre Palisades, had caught fire.
“Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year,” Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust said in a statement. “Some trees and vegetation on site have burned, but staff and the collection remain safe.”
Wind conditions were expected to worsen throughout the night, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone.
“We are not out of danger,” Marrone told reporters during an afternoon briefing. “The National Weather Service has predicted that the winds are going to pick up and get worse.”
