Fast-moving fires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and Sylmar burn homes; gusts of up to 99 mph reported

[riversedge]

Source: latimes.com



Updated 42 minutes ago
Fast-moving fires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Pasadena and Sylmar burn homes; gusts of up to 99 mph reported
The Palisades fire had grown to more than 2,900 acres as of Tuesday evening, driven by ‘life-threatening and destructive’ winds. The extreme wind event blasting Southern California is forecast to peak between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

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As homes burn, Eaton fire forces more evacuations in Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Arcadia
Homes in flames
Homes are engulfed in flames as firefighters try to keep the embers from jumping to nearby homes on Vinedo Avenue in Altadena.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
By Rong-Gong Lin II and Gina Ferazzi

As homes burn in the Eaton fire, evacuation orders have expanded in Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia.

Homes were burning on Vinedo Avenue in Altadena, and firefighters were trying to battle flying embers. A wind gust of up to 99 mph was detected near Altadena, the National Weather Service said early Wednesday morning. ................................


Read more: https://www.latimes.com/california/live/pacific-palisades-fire-updates-los-angeles

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[riversedge]

1. This is my view of the #eatoncanyonfire in Los Angeles county. The strong winds completely blew out my power,

Evacuating from the #eatoncanyonfire in Pasadena! Drive safe everyone!

Very blessed to have kind colleagues who are hosting us for the night!
#PasadenaFire #californiaEvacuations



@EckoTheFox
This is my view of the #eatoncanyonfire in Los Angeles county. The strong winds completely blew out my power, I saw and heard 3 different transformers nearby explode, a tree was uprooted, shit is insane. (1st and 2nd video are 1 hour apart)

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[hlthe2b]

2. It was the horrific Marshall Fire December 30, 2021 between Boulder and Lafayette, CO with similar

hurricane-strength winds that drove home the point to me that none of us are safe from this kind of rampaging wildfire. Nearly 1000 houses/major structures were consumed in mere hours with virtually no warning, likewise consuming two humans and multiple animals/pets. I always thought geographic features and reservoirs (and cities) would protect many from this scourge, but no more. The "wetlands" and open spaces/parks that provide bikeways and quality-of-life for nearby homes can likewise become bone-dry pathways for fires to rampage.

I am so sorry for the people of Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles--abandoning their cars and evacuating with whatever they could hold in their hands, carry on their backs, or in some cases roll in their suitcases. It is a horrific scene. One I have become all too familiar with.

[riversedge]

3. From my brother in North Hollywood. Listen to this wind. That's what is driving these fires.

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[berniesandersmittens]

8. Wow

😳

[NJCher]

4. This is all I've thought about

Since hearing the forecast for the Santa Ana winds. The nightmare of being told to abandon your car and walk; so many were doing so with their pets is so startling and shocking.

On riversedge’s other thread there are videos showing people walking to the ocean.

Like hlthe2b’s post upthread, we experienced this threat in NJ a few months ago with the drought. I was constantly concerned about a fire. I live in the woods and my house is wood frame.

All it takes is one jerk throwing a cigarette out the window.

Most of my family relocated to CA in the 60s and it was right in this area they chose to live. No one is alive to see this, however.

[Unladen Swallow]

5. What started the fire?

Or fires? I now hear there are multiple fires across a wide area. Causes?

[question everything]

19. They are talking about the Santa Ana Wind even though they usually come in the fall, September October

This one, I think, is coming from the South.

The "usual" Santa Ana wind comes from the East at high velocity which intensifies as it moves through the canyons.

[Bo Zarts]

6. There is an old axiom in wildland fire fighting: "Wind changes everything."

Santa Ana winds put that axiom on steroids. Strong downslope desert winds undergo compression, which generates heat. So you get "double drying" .. drying from heat and drying from high velocity winds. Any little spark .. ANY LITTLE SPARK .. can start a catastrophic wildfire.

Some winds in the area of the Palisades fire have been clocked at almost 100 mph. You cannot fight fire in that kind of wind. You cannot fly helicopters in that kind of wind. You cannot fly tanker aircraft in that kind of wind.

Palisades has grown from 1200 acres to almost 3000 acres in the past 12 hours. And there are numerous other significant fire starts in the area (Woodley, Hurst, and Eaton fires) upwind of Palisades.

Another old saying in wildland fire fighting is "F.E.A.R." - fuck everything and run. There are over 25 evacuation orders (Level 3 - GO!) in the area of Palisades.

Wind changes everything. F.E.A.R.!

[riversedge]

7. ....Early Wednesday morning, evacuation orders expanded well into Malibu, creeping into the same area

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/pacific-palisades-fire-high-winds-southern-california/

Palisades Fire devastates LA County as winds batter Southern California
l

By Marissa Wenzke, Matthew Rodriguez, Dean Fioresi

Updated on: January 8, 2025 / 5:52 AM PST / KCAL News


.............Early Wednesday morning, evacuation orders expanded well into Malibu, creeping into the same area that was just devastated by the Franklin Fire in December. ................

Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for the neighborhoods near the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga State Park and as far south as Santa Monica.............

[Sequoia]

16. So horrid

I used to live in SM and had a job in Pacific Palisades. Not only that, but hiking in the area too. It's very heartbreaking to see and how the fire just burned to the coast in just a few hours. The PCH was a scene from the highway to hell. Keep safe.

[riversedge]

9. omg! look at these palm trees, swaying in the wind and on FIRE!!

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[electric_blue68]

20. Of course, people, pets, homes, wildlife, and trees. But I've Never seen a Palm Tree on fire before! : (

Maybe bc I've never seen that before, it seems extra terrifying.

[IronLionZion]

10. Who had winter wildfires on their bingo card?

The new presidential administration will tell us this is proof that climate change isn't real.

[riversedge]

11. 🚨🇺🇸 "OMG OMG" "That's a million dollar house - more - OMG" This is Malibu - one of the wealthiest affluent places o

🚨🇺🇸 “OMG OMG”

“That’s a million dollar house - more - OMG”

This is Malibu - one of the wealthiest affluent places on the entire planet, now it’s being burnt to ashes.

Have you ever seen anything like this ever before?

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[nitpicked]

12. Faux Weather announced it will carry the briefing at 8 am PST

Aka 11 am eastern.

[nitpicked]

13. May it NOT resemble the Oakland 1991 firestorm

Link to Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_firestorm_of_1991

[LauraInLA]

14. At the 8 am PST press conference they just announced two fatalities in the EATON

Last edited Wed Jan 8, 2025, 12:14 PM - Edit history (1)

/not Palisades/ fire, with 100 structures destroyed.

[Marthe48]

15. My nephew is about 15 miles from the fire

He is worried about his friends and relatives that live much closer to the flames.

I have friends who just moved to the LA area in Dec. What an introduction :/

[question everything]

17. Devastating images

[RussBLib]

18. Every year

...I cannot imagine the stress. "Be prepared to evacuate at a moments notice."

So many fires in CA. This series of fires is taking so many homes. I'll bet Trump is snickering about it.

https://russblib.blogspot.com/?m=1

[tonekat]

21. 20 people arrested for looting

So far. Disgusting.