Catastrophic wildfires fueled by near 100-mph winds force thousands to flee near Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – A state of emergency has been declared in Southern California as fierce wildfires fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds continue to rage. Thousands of residents have been forced to evacuate their homes as flames tear through coastal communities, including Santa Monica and Malibu.

Three major wildfires – Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires – are currently burning out of control, driven by one of the strongest Santa Ana wind events in over a decade.

The largest fire burning is the Palisades Fire which started in the Santa Monica Mountains near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood late Tuesday morning and quickly exploded to nearly 3,000 acres by Wednesday morning, according to CalFire.

Power outages were expected with this wind event, and the number is already starting to rise. As of Wednesday morning, nearly 300,000 California customers were without power.

Malibu City officials said Southern California Edison shut off the power to the Galahad and Cuthbert circuits due to the dangerous fire weather. 

Live cameras from the state's Alert California network showed a massive smoke plume billowing from the burning hillside near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. FOX 11 Los Angeles reporter Matthew Seedorff was along Mountain Drive, where flames were engulfing homes. Whipping winds reached nearly 100 mph near Altadena and Woodland Hills.

"Devastation all around," Seedorff posted on X. "I’ve lost count of the number of buildings we’ve seen on fire."

Seedorff estimated that at least 20 homes just in the area where he reported were significantly impacted by the flames. Despite the destruction, there were no reported significant injuries during the first hours of the disaster.

LAFD Public Information officer Erik Scott said the fire is rapidly spreading in a westward direction due to the significant winds.

"Please ensure you know your ‘ready, set, go’ program," he said. "You are definitely in the ‘set’ mode and should be moving toward the ‘go’ mode."

More than 30,000 residents were either in or near the evacuation zone, which was expected to remain in effect through the night as winds made the blaze's movement erratic.

Large parts of Santa Monica were put under evacuation notices on Tuesday evening, adding to the tens of thousands of people who were told to leave.

Dozens of vehicles were abandoned along roadways as residents resorted to foot to get out of the way of the flames. First responders were seen using bulldozers to move abandoned vehicles out of the way and make room for emergency response vehicles.

Governor Gavin Newsom was on the ground in the Palisades monitoring the efforts of hundreds of first responders. Local and state leaders declared a state of emergency due to the fire and the continued threat from damaging winds. This comes as firefighters declared ‘an all-hands-on-deck’ situation as fires were reported in several communities in the greater Los Angeles area.

Due to the destructive and erratic winds, aircraft tasked with trying to contain the blazes were grounded late Tuesday, and officials warned it could be Wednesday before they are able to conduct aerial operations again.

Widespread damage reported from inferno

California authorities have not released assessments of the damage, but photos and videos from the hardest-hit areas show dozens, if not hundreds, of homes that have been damaged or destroyed by the Palisades Fire.

Tropical-storm-force to hurricane-force wind gusts drove the flames across the historic Pacific Coast Highway and onto beach areas, where even lifeguard stations were no match for the flames.

Flames were also seen surrounding Palisades Charter High School, one of at least four schools shut down by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The high school was not in session when the fire surrounded it; however, damage was reported to several buildings at the site.

FOX 11 reported that the nearby elementary school was also significantly damaged by flames, but no firetruck was spotted in sight. 

President Joe Biden was in Southern California at the time of the fire and received regular updates on the disaster and directed FEMA to offer any immediate assistance.

"I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire. Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs. My Administration will do everything it can to support the response. I urge the residents of the Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles to stay vigilant and listen to local officials," Biden said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Flights going in and out of Los Angeles International Airport can expect delays as forecasters warn of "quite dangerous" mountain waves for pilots. Airlines and pilots are being urged not to fly near terrain during the windstorm.

While winds are forecast to die down by Wednesday evening, a renewed threat of strong winds returns to the region on Friday.