The Palisades Fire, already one of the most destructive natural disasters in Los Angeles history, took a sharp turn toward one of the city’s major population centers late Friday night.
After burning through the iconic Pacific Palisades neighborhood and attacking seaside communities, the flames moved north toward the San Fernando Valley and west toward UCLA.
Images from the Sky5 helicopter show firefighters trying to stop the fire from spreading north into the valley, which is moving “uncomfortably close” to Encino and Tarzana, according to KTLA’s Gil Leyvas. It was reflected. The fire was approaching the area where Highways 101 and 405 intersect.
To control the number of people in the Valley, authorities closed several exits along Highway 405. They include:
Getty Center Drive exit ramps in both directions have been closed. The Skirball Center Drive two-way exit ramp is closed. The Sunset Boulevard southbound off-ramp has been closed. The southbound Wilshire Boulevard off-ramp is closed. Southbound Santa Monica Boulevard. The off-ramp has been closed. The southbound Olympic/Pico Street off-ramp has been closed.
Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders or warnings. Evacuation orders extended throughout the Pacific Palisades and into the Pacific Ocean, including areas of Santa Monica, Malibu, and Topanga. Some residents and businesses in Calabasas, Tarzana and Encino remained under evacuation orders Saturday morning.
The fire also moved west toward Westwood and the UCLA campus. UCLA police urged people around the university Friday night to be prepared in case an evacuation advisory adjacent to campus becomes an evacuation order.
Red areas represent areas of Los Angeles under mandatory evacuation orders due to the Palisades Fire, and yellow areas are under evacuation advisories. (LAFD)
As of the latest update at 1:04 a.m. Saturday, the Palisades Fire had covered 21,596 acres and was 8% contained. It claimed the lives of at least two people.
More than 3,700 firefighters were dispatched to the blaze, with 24 helicopters and 463 engines working to extinguish the fire.
Sky5 photo of the north flank of the Palisades Fire on January 10, 2025 (KTLA)
The fire started Tuesday morning and quickly turned violent due to hurricane-strength Santa Ana winds. Within minutes, residential neighborhoods in the Pacific Palisades were destroyed and the iconic downtown area wiped out.
It is estimated that more than 5,000 structures were destroyed.
The damage is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.
Due to the dry humidity and high winds, Cal Fire believes severe fire weather conditions are possible again Saturday.
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