Law enforcement and public safety officials reiterated Thursday that the Palisades fire was the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history, and that belief became even more true Friday as the historic blaze continued to spread. tinged.
As of Cal Fire’s latest update issued at 1:57 a.m., the fire had spread to 19,978 acres. The fire broke out Tuesday morning and quickly burned through residential areas and the downtown Pacific Palisades, driven by historic Santa Ana winds.
Houses are seen burning, but some are still standing, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday, January 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
These areas are now almost completely destroyed, leaving thousands of people homeless. An unknown number of homes and businesses were destroyed, but more than 5,000 structures were destroyed.
The damage is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. Multiple fires have broken out in Southern California, killing at least 10 people.
Evacuation orders extended throughout the Pacific Palisades and into the Pacific Ocean, including areas of Santa Monica, Malibu, and Topanga. Calabasas residents and businesses remained under an evacuation order Thursday.
Palisades Fire Boundaries and Evacuation Areas for Thursday, January 9, 2025. (CalFire)
The cause is still under investigation. A man was arrested Thursday afternoon on suspicion of arson in the Woodland Hills neighborhood, but it’s not yet clear which of the multiple fires across Los Angeles he may be involved in. . The man was taken into custody after residents witnessed him trying to start a fire.
Firefighters were finally able to make headway in battling the Palisades fire Thursday. After two days without containment, authorities raised the containment rate to 6% after winds subsided enough for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to fight the fire, along with more than 3,000 firefighters.
Regarding future firefighting efforts, Cal Fire released the following statement:
“Wind and topographic uplift continues for the Palisades Fire. Short-range sightings continue to be observed,” Cal Fire said in a bulletin. “Typical mid-January weather is expected on Saturday. Light to moderate Santa Ana winds are expected from Sunday through the middle of next week. Strong winds possible on Tuesday. “Severe weather conditions remain likely.” Fire weather conditions will continue into next week. ”
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