Greater Los Angeles Wildfires
Sunset Fire Los Angeles – 5 are dead and more than 2000 structures burned as new fire hits Hollywood Hills, Southern California. The wildfires that are raging around Los Angeles County have prompted evacuation orders for over 100,000 residents. Through Thursday, L.A. County and a large portion of Ventura County are still under red flag warnings.
By Heather Haggerty, Connor Sheets, Julia Wick, Hannah Fry, Grace Toohey, Noah Goldberg, Rebecca Ellis, Summer Lin, Terry Castleman, and Rong-Gong Lin II.
Overnight, firefighters fought many fires as three large wildfires were fanned by gusts of up to 100 mph.
Palisades Fire
More than 15,800 acres were burned, along with a large number of houses, businesses, and landmarks in the Pacific Palisades and further west along the Pacific Coast Highway, heading toward Malibu.
Eaton Fire
The Eaton fire destroyed numerous buildings and about 10,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena.
Sunset Fire
Known as the Sunset fire, it seemed to be moving south toward Hollywood Boulevard when it burst at approximately 5:45 p.m.
Hurst Fire
An area of 700 acres has been burned around Sylmar.
The Eaton fire has claimed five lives and left numerous others gravely injured.
Through Thursday, red flag warnings were still in place for a large portion of Ventura County and Los Angeles County.
This is one of the most destructive firestorms to ever impact the area, with over 2,000 houses, businesses, and other buildings damaged or destroyed and at least five people killed in wildfires raging through neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County.
Runyon Canyon Fire
The five dead were discovered in three buildings in Altadena, where occupants had little time to escape after the Eaton fire broke out Tuesday night. The L.A. County Fire Department estimates that about 1,000 structures were burned in the Palisades fire, while another 1,000 were either damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire.
Around 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the Sunset fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills region, forcing evacuations in the Runyon Canyon area and severely taxing firefighting resources.
How did the fire in pacific palisades start?
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Palisades fire had burned over 15,800 acres in Pacific Palisades, engulfing multimillion-dollar mansions along the famous Pacific Coast Highway.
Although the Palisades fire had not claimed any lives, according to L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, authorities reported “a high number of significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate, in addition to first responders who were on the fire line.”
As of Wednesday night, the Eaton fire, which started Tuesday night and was fueled by wind gusts of up to 99 mph, had burnt 10,600 acres close to Altadena and Pasadena, according to a post on X by Angeles National Forest employees.
Moonshadows Malibu
At a news conference on Wednesday night, Marrone stated that the reasons of death for the five victims discovered in the Eaton fire were still unknown. To make sure no further individuals are missing from the fire, the agency has asked for K-9s with expertise in detecting human remains, according to Marrone.
As of Wednesday night, 700 acres had been destroyed by the Hurst fire, which began in Sylmar overnight and moved swiftly due to strong winds.
All of the fires are still 0% contained, and their causes are being investigated.
Altadena Fire Update
On Wednesday afternoon, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell declared, “What we witnessed here over the past 24 hours is unprecedented.” “This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
The approximately 2,500 firefighters working on the Eaton and Palisades fires faced yet another difficult day of fire on Wednesday, which was fuelled by low humidity, bone-dry vegetation, and strong winds. Crews from all around the area raced to put out little flames that broke out in Fontana, Sun Valley, and Brentwood as the larger ones burned.
According to L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, there were 70,000 residents in the Eaton fire area who were under evacuation orders or warnings, and 60,000 residents in the Palisades fire area. He claimed that three persons had been taken into custody on suspicion of stealing from the evacuation areas.
“That is completely unacceptable,” he declared. “These folks have endured a great deal. Don’t subject them to more hardship than is necessary.
How did the La Fire Start 2025?
Red flag warnings for a “life-threatening, destructive and widespread windstorm” were still in place until Thursday for Los Angeles County and a large portion of Ventura County. Forecasters predicted that winds, which were supposed to subside during the day on Wednesday, would persist and expand over the next few days.
Kristin Crowley, the chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, stated that “these fires are stretching the capacity of emergency services to the maximum limits” and that “we are absolutely not out of danger yet.”
Fire officials admitted that crews and resources were severely overworked and that they were overpowered by the size and intensity of the three main flames.
Marrone acknowledged that there was just not enough staffing for an emergency of this magnitude, saying that firefighters could be heard on emergency radios asking for more teams and backup.
Woodly Fire 2025
Numerous houses in Altadena were still burning on Wednesday, and there were not many fire engines available. In certain cases, residents watched as vehicles passed one house in an attempt to save another, and they were informed that resources were scarce. While some neighbors watched in shock, others attempted to use hoses to put out the fire.
Homes were randomly devoured by fires, leaving plumes of smoke in the sky. While residences burnt less than two blocks away, a section of New York Drive, a major thoroughfare, remained unaffected.
Beverly Hills Fire
“We made an effort to get them the assistance they required,” Marrone stated. “We are exerting every effort possible. However, there aren’t enough firefighters in L.A. County across all agencies to deal with this.
At higher heights in the Pacific Palisades, firefighters also encountered a shortage of water in certain hydrants. According to the Department of Water and Power, the problem started because the system was under abnormal stress.
Fire Tracker California
Firefighters in Pacific Palisades struggled to contain the fire, which was spreading into the Santa Monica Mountains and west toward the ocean, due to wind gusts of up to 100 mph and flammable terrain, according to Los Angeles Fire Capt. Erik Scott.
Strong Santa Ana winds and the surrounding terrain are fueling the fire, making it very difficult for us firefighters to truly control it, Scott stated. “Defense of life and structure is our top priority.”
After being grounded Tuesday night due to strong winds, firefighting aircraft began working on the Palisades and Eaton fires early on Wednesday. The latter fire is burning in the hills above Altadena close to Eaton Canyon.
According to county Fire Department spokesperson Carlos Herrera, “having air support is huge.” “We can see the fire in real time, including its location and behavior. If we notice that it’s heading in a direction that could affect structures, we can take action to stop it.”
Fire in Southern California Today
President Biden promised that the federal government would use all of its resources to combat the fires during a briefing in Santa Monica. According to the White House, 10 Navy helicopters carrying water buckets were on their way from San Diego, and two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System units were being deployed from the California and Nevada national guards.
According to Col. Brian Hill, 200 National Guard members have been sent in to help with the fire and evacuations after California Governor Gavin Newsom called on them to do so.
“What’s happened is incredible,” Biden remarked. “For however long it takes to contain these fires, we are willing to do whatever it takes.”
Firefighters from all throughout Southern California, Northern California, Phoenix, and Oregon are making their way to L.A. County.
Is the Getty Villa on Fire
Fire in Palisades burn near Getty Villa, museum untouched.
As residents wait and question whether their homes are still standing, more services are made available.
On Wednesday morning, a large portion of the Pacific Coast Highway was still completely dark and covered in dense smoke. Tree limbs and electrical lines were down between Carbon Beach and Will Rogers State Beach, and entire buildings were on fire. The fire had crossed the highway directly to the beach in various places.
LA Fire Chief
Bill Stange, a resident of Palisades, spent the morning at Malibu Bluffs Park, which was as near to the fire as he could go after fleeing it the previous evening with only a few possessions. Numerous more people were stranded in their vehicles, eager to return and inspect the damage.
At first, a buddy had texted that Stange’s house appeared to be intact, but Stange later learned that his entire hillside community had been destroyed. Built in 1950 and reconstructed following the local fire in 1993, the property has been in his family’s possession for many years. He intended to bequeath the property to his own children, as his parents had left it to him after they passed away. He’s not sure what to do now.
“Many people moved to other places because they couldn’t keep up with the rising cost of rebuilding a house,” he said. We had been waiting. The fire department isn’t prepared for something like this, in my opinion. It’s overly large.
State of Emergency California
Southern California’s fire season has been prolonged due to the lack of precipitation this winter. Downtown Los Angeles has only received 0.16 inches of rain since the start of the water year on October 1st, which is a very little amount compared to the 4.64 inches the city typically receives by this time of year. Extreme gusts combined with the dry brush produced a disastrous situation.
The San Gabriel Mountains, Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, the coastal regions next to the Sepulveda Pass, the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu, and eastern Ventura County are all experiencing a “particularly dangerous situation,” according to the National Weather Service. About a month ago, when the Franklin fire started and quickly swept throughout Malibu, the weather service issued the same warning. More than 4,037 acres were burned, 20 buildings were destroyed, and 28 more were damaged.
It is anticipated that this kind of red flag warning will happen roughly every three to five years. However, this fire season, three such warnings have been issued by the Oxnard National Weather Service office.
The gusts that raced over the Los Angeles area were stronger than the 2011 storms that seriously damaged Pasadena, Altadena, and other San Gabriel Valley areas, according to Ariel Cohen, the meteorologist in command of the NOAA/National Weather Service in Oxnard.
According to Cohen, “the winds far surpass 2011 in magnitude, coverage, and destruction.” Additionally, a wildfire outbreak has joined them, creating a scene of apocalypsis throughout the greater Los Angeles area. The situation is disastrous. This is a highly uncommon windstorm that only occurs once every few decades.
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Shubhangi Gupta is a distinguished content writer and the visionary founder of The Unpleasant – Acha Nahi Sabse Sacha. With a Master’s degree in Commerce from University of Lucknow, Shubhangi has seamlessly blended her academic background with her passion for reading and writing, embarking on a successful career as a content writer since 2019.
