Thousands flee from uncontrolled wildfires burning near LA

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(Bloomberg) --The most destructive wind storm to strike the Los Angeles area in 14 years is fanning wildfires that have killed two people, scorched homes and sent thousands of residents fleeing for their lives, with dangerous gusts expected to persist for at least another two days.

Hurricane-force winds have torn through the region, pushing flames through high-priced neighborhoods and hampering efforts of firefighters who have flocked to blazes that are currently burning out of control. The largest — known as the Palisades Fire — roared across 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) just west of Santa Monica early Wednesday, destroying 1,000 structures. 

Weather conditions are "placing all residents of Los Angeles County in danger," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a press conference Wednesday. Two civilian deaths and a high number of injuries have been reported, Marrone said.

Downtown Los Angeles was choked with smoke as the sun rose Wednesday morning, casting an eerie orange glow through the haze. 

A fire in Eaton Canyon, near Altadena, has expanded to about 2,227 acres, while the Hurst fire has ballooned northwest of LA. A small fire was reported Wednesday morning in a grassy expanse known as the Sepulveda Basin, deep in the San Fernando Valley. All are uncontained.

The Palisades fire in particular was proving difficult to control, Los Angeles Fire Department fire captain Erik Scott said in a video update posted to X Wednesday. The fire is spreading in multiple directions, but growing fastest along its western edge toward Malibu.

"It is plausible that the Palisades fire in particular will become the costliest fire on record, period — not just in California, but in general," said Daniel Swain, a University of California Los Angeles climatologist, in a live briefing posted to YouTube Wednesday. Swain said thousands of structures were likely to burn. "Those structures are some of the most expensive homes and buildings in the world."

The fires are stretching the capacity of emergency services to their maximum limits, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been expanded to parts of northern Santa Monica, with alerts covering a large swath of the coastal city warning that residents may need to leave. Widespread and damaging gusts are expected to worsen, hindering efforts to contain the flames. Residents in Malibu — who were forced to flee their homes last month as the Franklin fire ripped through the community — have also been told to prepare for possible evacuation orders.

More than 44,000 people were ordered to leave their homes northwest of Burbank after the Hurst fire exploded Tuesday night near the edge of Angeles National Forest. Earlier Tuesday, another 30,000 people were told to leave the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles after a brush fire erupted, damaging homes and causing panic and traffic gridlock, with some abandoning their cars on narrow hillside roads. 

Extreme fire conditions will continue for more than 3.1 million people across Southern California, including Pasadena and Thousand Oaks, through Wednesday, the US Storm Prediction Center said. A larger area of slightly less dangerous critical conditions includes more than 5.6 million. Air quality has reached hazardous levels in Pasadena, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, where anyone not under evacuation orders is advised to stay inside.

On Thursday there is a slight chance the extreme situation will ease, though critical conditions will persist. Upper-level winds will start to relax on Friday, but without rain, vegetation in the area is still primed to burn.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings that extend from central California's coast to the US-Mexico border. Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, Malibu and the densely populated San Fernando Valley are facing a "particularly dangerous situation" — the most severe fire alert level. Wind speeds could reach 100 miles per hour in some areas.

On Wednesday, fire crews managed to extinguish a small blaze that sparked in the desert near Coachella and the Salton Sea. Hundreds of firefighters from across the state are traveling to the Los Angeles area to help with firefighting efforts, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an X post Wednesday morning.

Fire's Destruction

Local television broadcast scenes of flames engulfing parts of the Palisades Charter High School, and multiple explosions were heard on camera near the campus. Across the street, parts of Palisades Elementary Charter School were also reported to have gone up in flames, according to KTLA.

A CBS News reporter tweeted images of Malibu's iconic "sand castle" homes being destroyed by flames.

All schools in the Santa Monica and Malibu public school districts and Pasadena unified school district will be closed on Wednesday.

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. started safety power cuts to customers on Tuesday evening, citing elevated risks.

Edison International's Southern California utility — the largest in the region — shut off electricity to about 136,000 homes and businesses in an effort to prevent wildfires. The company said it may need to cut power to an additional 426,113 customers if Santa Ana winds become exceptionally strong. Edison shares fell the most since 2022, though analysts with Guggenheim said there have been no reports that the utility's equipment is involved in the fires.

Across Southern California, more than 319,000 customers were without power as of 8:56 a.m. local time, according to website PowerOutage.us.

In a statement issued Tuesday evening, President Joe Biden said he was being frequently briefed on the wildfires and urged residents to stay vigilant and listen to local officials. The US Federal Emergency Management Agency has also authorized the use of funds to assist in combating the blazes.