Wildfires in Los Angeles County Force Thousands to Evacuate

What Happened?

What started as a small brush fire has grown into several large wildfires which tore through Los Angeles County yesterday.

It forced thousands of people to flee their homes in advance of flames being fed by hurricane-force winds. 

According to local authorities in Los Angeles County:

‘The Palisades Fire, which broke out near the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, has burned at least 2,921 acres, forcing at least 30,000 people to evacuate. The Eaton Fire, which erupted to the northeast, has burned at least 2,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders for over 52,000 residents. In the north, the Hurst Fire grew to 500 acres in just four hours. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) declared a state of emergency and said early Wednesday that more than 1,400 firefighters, first responders and officials have been deployed “to combat these unprecedented fires in LA.’

Why it Matters

Dry conditions and high winds have combined to make the fires fast spreading and difficult to contain, and firefighters have struggled to keep up with the rapidly advancing blazes. 

As the Economist reported this morning:

‘Los Angeles is particularly vulnerable to fire. Its wealthy neighborhoods and the county’s exurbs are where cities meet nature, stretching into the region’s rambling mountain ranges: the Santa Monicas, the Verdugos, and the San Gabriels. On this occasion, north-east winds with gusts reaching almost 100mph (160kph) in some places swept over the mountains that cradle the city. These are the Santa Anas, also known as the “devil winds.” Common in cooler months, they blow warm, dry air from the vast desert of the Great Basin towards the coast.’

These winds can quickly spread embers across areas filled with dried out vegetation, leading to the perfect storm of conditions to create large fast-moving wildfires.

Some 10 million people live in Los Angeles County. But it isn’t the only place currently at risk. If the fires cannot be contained, which so far has proved difficult, most of Southern California down to the U.S.-Mexico border could be in danger.

How it Affects You

Although California is accustomed to wildfires, this time over 10,000 homes are already in the path of the growing blazes. So far there have been no reports of deaths caused by the multiple fires tearing through the Los Angeles area, according to Cal Fire, the state’s fire agency.

In addition to thousands being under mandatory evacuation orders, dozens of schools have been forced to close along with numerous local businesses.

Local reports from Los Angeles indicate many roadways into and out of the LA area are backed up with traffic due to the large number of people trying to get out of the path of the wildfires.

California Governor Gavin Newsome has declared a state of emergency because of the wildfires.