Strong winds drive wildfires, evacuations across California’s Los Angeles

On January 9, 2025, 7:36 AM

California firefighters have battled wind-whipped wildfires that have torn across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes and clogging roadways as tens of thousands fled, straining resources as officials prepared for the situation to worsen.

The blaze that broke out on Tuesday evening in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles spread so rapidly that staff at a senior living centre had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a car park.

The residents waited in their bedclothes as embers fell around them until ambulances, buses and even construction vans arrived to take them to safety.

A blaze that started hours earlier ripped through the city’s Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences and memorialised by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit “Surfin’ USA”.

In the frantic haste to get to safety, roadways became impassable, as scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some toting suitcases.

Traffic jams prevented emergency vehicles from getting through. A bulldozer was then brought in to push abandoned cars to the side and create a path. Video along the Pacific Coast Highway showed widespread destruction of homes and businesses along the famed roadway.

A third wildfire started at about 10:30pm (06:30 GMT, Wednesday) and quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar, the northernmost neighbourhood in Los Angeles. The causes of all three fires were under investigation.

Flames were being pushed by winds topping 60mph (about 100km/h) in some places. The wind speeds were projected to increase overnight, producing isolated gusts that could top 100mph (160km/h) in mountains and foothills — including in areas that have not seen substantial rain in months.

The situation prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to take the rare step of putting out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help. It was too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight.

Officials did not give an estimate of structures damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, but they said about 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat. Governor Gavin Newsom visited the scene and said many homes had burned.

By evening, the flames had spread into neighbouring Malibu and several people there were being treated for burn injuries. A firefighter had a serious head injury and was taken to a hospital, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott.

As of Tuesday evening, nearly 167,000 people were without power in Los Angeles County, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us.

Recent dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in southern California, where there has been very little rain this season. Southern California has not seen more than 0.1 inches (2.5mm) of rain since early May.

A McDonald's restaurant is showered in embers during the Eaton fire in Pasadena — A McDonald’s restaurant is showered in embers in Pasadena. [Josh Edelson/AFP]

Firefighters battle the Eaton Fire Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in Altadena — A ferocious wildfire devoured buildings and led to panicked evacuations as hurricane-force winds tore through the region. [Ethan Swope/AP Photo]

Elderly patients are quickly evacuated into an armored vehicle as embers and flames approach during the Eaton fire in Pasadena — Elderly patients are quickly evacuated into an armoured vehicle as embers and flames approach. [Josh Edelson/AFP]

Flames engulf a structure as the Eaton Fire burns in Pasadena, California, U.S. January 7 — Flames engulf a structure. The blaze consumed some 81 hectares (200 acres) of land overnight, according to Angeles National Forest officials. [Mario Anzuoni/Reuters]

Firefighters work to extinguish flames as the Eaton Fire burns in Pasadena, California — The situation prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to take the rare step of putting out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help. [Mario Anzuoni/Reuters]

Residents of a senior center are evacuated as the Eaton Fire approaches Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025 in Altadena — Residents of a senior centre are evacuated. The fire spread so rapidly that staff at the senior living centre had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a car park. [Ethan Swope/AP Photo]

Vehicles drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, as a wildfire burns in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of west Los Angeles, California, U.S., January 7 — Vehicles drive along the Pacific Coast Highway as a wildfire burns in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of west Los Angeles. [Mike Blake/Reuters]

A woman waters the area in front of her house before leaving following an evacuation order, as a wildfire burns in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of west Los Angeles, in Santa Monica, California, U.S., January 7 — A woman waters the area in front of her house before leaving following an evacuation order. [Daniel Cole/Reuters]

Fire personnel respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the Palisades Fire grows in Pacific Palisades, California on January 7 — Firefighters respond to homes destroyed while a helicopter drops water as the fire spreads in Palisades, engulfing an area crammed with multi-million-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains. [David Swanson/AFP]

People leave following an evacuation order, as a wildfire burns in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of west Los Angeles, in Santa Monica, California — People leave following an evacuation order as a wildfire burns in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. [Daniel Cole/Reuters]

A firefighter drags a hose as a home is lost to the flames of the wind-driven Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, January 7 — A firefighter drags a hose as a home is lost to the flames. [David Swanson/AFP] A Firefighter watches the flames in front of the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church. [Apu Gomes/Getty Images]

A Firefighter watches the flames from the Palisades Fire burning in front of the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church during a powerful windstorm on January 8 — A Firefighter watches the flames from the Palisades Fire burning in front of the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church. [Apu Gomes/Getty Images]

Story By Aljazeera