Wildfires burn more than 36,500 acres, destroying thousands of structures in Los Angeles County
Several major wildfires are destroying thousands of buildings throughout the Los Angeles area, including two that have burned more than 10,000 acres. Five people are dead and several firefighters have been injured.
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According to CNN, within the first 24 hours, the Palisades and Eaton fires had already made it into the list of the top 15 largest fires to hit LA County in the last 11 years.
Palisades Fire - 20,438 acres, 8% contained
The Palisades Fire was the first major fire to start up on Tuesday. Since it was first reported Tuesday before Noon, it has burned more than 20,000 acres with 8% containment.
In a media briefing alongside city and county officials, police and fire chiefs Thursday morning, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said, "It is safe to say the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles."
Streets flooded along Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles as firefighters continue to battle devastating wildfires. @GhottleKESQ will have the latest live from Los Angeles County starting at 4PM on News Channel 3
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Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said during a late-afternoon briefing Thursday that two people had died in the fire, although no details were provided.
Earlier Thursday, however, representatives of the county Medical Examiner's Office removed human remains from the ruins of a home in the vicinity of Duke's restaurant in Malibu. Officials from the sheriff's department told reporters at the scene that deputies received a missing person report, prompting them to conduct a welfare check at the burned-out home, where the remains were discovered.
No other details were immediately available. Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart issued a statement saying the "tragic news weighs heavily on our hearts."
The cause of the fire was unknown. It erupted amid fierce Santa Ana winds that forecasters called the worst windstorm in the Southland in a decade. The peak gusts of the wind event slammed the fire area between 10 p.m. Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, though red flag warnings of critical fire danger were expected to be in place until Friday evening.
According to Cal Fire, the latest aerial survey of the Palisades Fire estimates that the number of structures destroyed is now 5,316. Cal Fire notes that "structures" can include residential and commercial properties, RVs, sheds or other "minor buildings."
LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley told reporters Tuesday afternoon that roughly 30,000 people were under evacuation orders, with the fire endangering roughly 13,200 structures, including 10,300 homes.
In a media briefing at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the fire has burned more than 5,000 acres and destroyed about 1,000 structures.
There were a "high number of significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate, in addition to first responders who were on the fire lines," he said.
On Tuesday night, LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said a 25-year-old female firefighter suffered a serious head injury and was taken to a hospital. The circumstances of the injury were unknown. Several other people were treated for burn injuries in the area of the famed Duke's restaurant along Pacific Coast Highway, Scott said. It was also unclear how those injuries occurred, or how many people were affected.
Evacuation centers were established at the Westwood Recreation Center, 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Pasadena Convention Center at 300 E. Green St. in Pasadena, and at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills.
Large animals can be taken to Pierce College at 6201 Winnetka Ave., or the Los Angeles Equestrian Center at 480 Riverside Drive in Burbank. Small animals can be taken to the Agoura Animal Care Center at 29525 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills and Pasadena Humane Society at 361 S. Raymond Ave in Pasadena.
Eaton Fire - 13,956 acres, 3% contained
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone says 7,000 structures are believed to have been damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
On Friday morning, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone announced that the fire's size was 13,956 acres but was 3% contained by lines to keep the fire from spreading. Some 1,603 personnel were assigned to the firefighting effort, with Friday's priority being structure protection and fire line construction to increase containment on the east, north and west flanks.
A red flag warning will remain in effect until at least 6 p.m. Friday. Forecasters said northeast winds of 20 to 25 mph, with gusts to 35 mph, would decrease to between 12 and 15 mph in the afternoon. The winds were expected to be weakest in the early evening before seeing an increase of 10 to 15 mph after midnight.
Another strong Santa Ana wind event was possible early next week.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna on Wednesday confirmed the deaths of five people in the Eaton Fire.
The county fire department reported Thursday that four firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze, though no specifics were released. Marrone said Thursday afternoon that another firefighter had suffered a "significant'' injury in a fall, but he was expected to recover.
Marrone said earlier there were "a number of significant injuries'' due to the fire, adding that many injuries that occurred in the various fires occurred among people who failed to heed evacuation orders.
Among the structures destroyed in the fire was the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center.
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation reported that the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park's Davies Community Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Altadena Golf Course Club House and adjacent buildings were destroyed.
Also destroyed in the blaze was The Bunny Museum in Altadena.
Sheriff's officials called for immediate evacuations of any people on the mountain, which is home to not only an observatory but a series of broadcast towers critical for local television and radio outlets.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Wednesday that more than 32,500 residents were placed under evacuation orders in the nearby regions including Pasadena and Altadena.
An evacuation center was established at the Arcadia Community Center at 375 Campus Drive. Pasadena officials ordered evacuations for residents north of Orange Grove/Rosemead Boulevard, east of Lake Avenue and west of Michilinda Avenue. An evacuation center for those residents was established at the Pasadena Civic Center, 300 E. Green St.
An evacuation center was also established at El Camino Real Charter High School, 5440 Valley Circle Blvd. in Woodland Hills for people impacted by the various fires in the Southland.
As he did earlier with the Palisades Fire, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced late Tuesday that the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover costs of battling the Eaton Fire.
Hurst Fire - 771 acres, 37% contained
A wind-driven fire in the Sylmar area has burned 771 acres with 37% containment.
The Hurst Fire was reported around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 5900 block of Yarnell Street, and within a half-hour, it had burned more than 100 acres, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.
It rapidly grew in size to 850 acres by 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, with 0% containment.
By Thursday, it was mapped to 771 acres.
As of 9:00 a.m., Friday, the Hurst Fire was 37% contained.
Woodley Fire - 30 acres, 100% contained
Adding to a string of vegetation fires prompted by extreme weather conditions, a brush fire was burning at Sepulveda Basin today.
The fire was initially reported at 75 acres just before 4 a.m. Wednesday, at the park located near the Ventura (101) and San Diego (405) freeways, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
As of 11 a.m., the fire had been revised to 30 acres, with 0% containment. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
CalFire reports as of 8:07 p.m., the Woodley Fire is 100% contained.
Lidia Fire - 348 acres, 75% contained
The Lidia Fire burned 348 acres of terrain in the Acton area, threatening structures and halting Metrolink service.
It erupted early Wednesday afternoon in the area of Soledad Canyon Road and Bootleggers Canyon. It initially burned about 50 acres of vegetation but had increased to about 80 acres as of 4:30 p.m. with 30% containment.
By 5:30 p.m., it was mapped at 347.7 acres by FIRIS.
CalFire reports that as of 9:15 a.m. on Friday, the containment of the Lidia Fire is 75%.
Sunset Fire - 43 acres, 100% contained
The Sunset Fire started up at around 5:30 p.m. in the Hollywood Hills.
It has burned approximately 43 acres between Runyon Canyon and Wattles Park.
Thursday morning, Los Angeles city officials officials confirmed the fire was fully contained.
Kenneth Fire - 959 acres, 35% contained
The fire was reported around 3:30 p.m. in an area north of the Ventura (101) Freeway near Valley Circle Boulevard.
Initially reported at 20 acres, it quickly expanded to 50 acres, and within three hours minutes, it exploded to nearly 1,000 acres, pushed by continuing Santa Ana winds.
The fire is being investigated as a possible arson, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. A person has been detained.
LAPD investigators and deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department interviewed the man and determined there was "not enough probable cause'' to arrest him as a possible arson suspect, Choi said. The man was, however, arrested on suspicion of a felony probation violation.
His name was not released.
No structures were damaged by the Kenneth Fire.
A mandatory evacuation order was issued for the people between Vanowen and Burbank Boulevard, from County Lane Road east to Valley Circle Boulevard, but shortly before 5:30 p.m., that mandatory order was reduced to an evacuation warning as the fire burned its way primarily into Ventura County.
All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted as of 8 p.m. Thursday and deputies were checking the ID's of people moving through the area to be sure they were residents.
Archer Fire - 31 acres, 0% containment
Firefighters worked in the air and on the ground today to halt a brush fire in Granada Hills that prompted more evacuations as it advanced toward homes.
The fire was first reported at 10:25 a.m. as 2- to 3-acre blaze in the 17200 block of West Sesnon Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's Margaret Stewart.
The evacuation order for people who live near the Archer Fire in the 17200 block of West Sesnon Boulevard has been downgraded to an evacuation warning and the LAFD has lifted the earlier evacuation warning, says the LAFD's Margaret Stewart.
The fire has grown to 31 acres, but crews on the scene report
forward progress has been stopped.
