Thousands of people are evacuating in LA as wildfires and extreme winds hit Southern California

Firefighters are currently battling at least two fires in Los Angeles during the first of what is expected to be two to three days of Santa Ana winds that can reach 100 miles per hour. The fires, known as the Palisades Fire and the Sunset Fire, are threatening homes in the northern part of the LA metro area, but all of Southern California is on high alert as forecasters warn that dry conditions combined with winds extremely high are potentially “historic”. .”

The Palisades Fire is currently listed at more than 1,260 hectares without containment and has prompted mandatory evacuation orders in parts of the northern Los Angeles neighborhood Pacific Palisades up to the Pacific Coast Highway. The California Department of Transportation has closed southbound lanes of the Pacific Coast Highway in the area, according to the New York Times.

The Los Angeles Fire Department gave an update at 3:30 p.m. local time that was broadcast live by KCAL YouTube. Officials report that there are 250 firefighters on scene, including 46 engines, three trucks, five helicopters, four brush patrols, two water tenders, six paramedics, one rapid response vehicle, and a number of officers and investigators of fire

As the press conference officials noted, the worst of the winds are expected between 10:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday and 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Genasys has the the last map of the current evacuation orders, which include all of Pacific Palisades at the time of this writing, but those could expand quickly.

Drivers abandoned cars on the road, with the LA Fire Department bringing in a bulldozer to remove the vehicles. People in the area who spoke to KTLA reported internet outages and some are worried because they are stuck without any viable way to escape their homes.

A reporter with KTLA covering the Palisades Fire could also be seen on the picture YouTube flow fleeing from the flames as they arrive dangerously close.

The Sunset Fire is listed at only 1.5 hectares, but it is not yet contained. The power company in the area, Southern California Edison, cut power to about 8,000 homes and warned that power could be cut to thousands more during this strong wind event to protect against electrical infrastructure that causes more fires

Wind gusts reached 70 miles per hour in Southern California at the time of writing, but the worst of the wind is expected Tuesday night into Wednesday. Forecasters issued a warning of “particularly dangerous situation”, which the New York Times notes is often something only seen every few years. But this is the third warning for this season alone.

#PalisadesFire more houses are lost, terrible pic.twitter.com/Qyw3N9Bj9a

— firevalleyphoto (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025

#PalisadesFire pic.twitter.com/2z1SInQIXa

— firevalleyphoto (@firevalleyphoto) January 7, 2025

Photos and videos shared on social media are alarming and show the scenes, which KTLA has sometimes described as a “war zone.”

These are the California Paradise conditions in the Palisades. We were in a neighborhood that was on fire. Mass panic in the streets, and the worst of the wind hits the Palisades fire tonight pic.twitter.com/NY4joNow4I

— Jonathan Vigliotti 🐋 (@JonVigliotti) January 7, 2025

If you are in the area, we highly recommend downloading an app called Watch Duty, which allows users to monitor fires in their area and turn on alerts to learn about the latest developments. The app includes user-submitted photos, but also gathers vital breaking news information from official sources, including evacuation orders. If you live in Southern California, you really should have your phone.