Freak Los Angeles Wind Storm Sparks Fires in Pacific Palisades
An extreme wind event is threatening one of Los Angeles’ toniest neighborhoods, igniting fires through Pacific Palisades.
Winds have been gusting in spurts sparking brush fires around 10:30 a.m. that have expanded to 2,900 acres as of early Tuesday evening, with zero percent containment, per the Los Angeles Fire Department. (See photos.) California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a “state of emergency.”
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Among the residents who call the area home are Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler, Michael Keaton, Miles Teller, Michael Mann, Ann Sarnoff, Carol Lombardini, Alan Bergman, Kathleen Kennedy, Steve Guttenberg and James Woods.
Overnight going into Wednesday, Santa Monica and Malibu published evacuation orders. “City of Santa Monica is issuing an Evacuation Order for all areas of the city north of San Vicente,” the city said on X. “Evacuation Order: Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is closed to public access.”
Meanwhile, the Malibu X account said: “Malibu urges all residents not under evacuation orders prepare to leave. #PalisadesFire is uncontained, fueled by Santa Ana winds. Evacuate now, especially if you need extra time or have pets/livestock. Find your evacuation zone at Protect.Genasys.com/Search. Avoid south/east PCH.”
Santa Ana winds are nothing new to Southern California, and it’s not uncommon for them to flare up in January, but this “life threatening” and fast-moving wind storm, coupled with low humidity and cooler temperatures, has forced mandatory evacuations for areas surrounding the highly combustible Santa Monica Mountains range.
Around 7 p.m., news broke that another fire had broken out in the Eaton Canyon area above Altadena, which is some 45 miles from Pacific Palisades, forcing evacuations. That fire had grown to 200 acres by 8:45 p.m. Around 8 p.m., an evacuation order was issued for northern Santa Monica.
The National Weather Service said the wind storm constituted a “PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION Red Flag Warning event.” The warnings are in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday for Malibu, the San Gabriel Valley, the San Fernando Valley, Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills, the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Gabriel Mountains, Eastern Ventura Valley and coastal areas adjacent to the Sepulveda pass.
The damage and smoke engulfing the Palisades is being described as “apocalyptic,” with one local field reporter noting its resemblance to a movie set.
The Associated Press reported that about 30,000 residents are under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures are under threat. It’s not clear what caused the fire, and there have been no reported injuries, according to officials.
So far, flights out of LAX were not impacted. News network helicopters, on standby at nearby Van Nuys airport, are not permitted to fly near the area.
Around 5 p.m., the grounds of the Getty Villa caught fire, according to reports citing the Los Angeles Fire Department and video posted on social media.
About 45 minutes later, the Getty Museum’s official X account posted an update: “Today, a brush fire started in Pacific Palisades fueled by extremely high winds. At the Getty Villa, some trees & vegetation on site have burned, but no structures are on fire, and staff and the collection remain safe. The Villa is closed to non-emergency staff and the public.”
The Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club also was engulfed in flames around 6 p.m. Tuesday, as was the Pierson Playhouse (aka Theatre Palisades). The Reel Inn, a longstanding seafood restaurant, also was reportedly engulfed in flames as was Palisades High School. Several schools in the area will be closed Wednesday. Several other neighborhoods in L.A. were without power Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Amazon MGM Studios and Universal Pictures said Tuesday that they were canceling their respective premiere events scheduled for that night.
Amazon MGM was planning to hold the premiere for its film Unstoppable, starring Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pe?a and Don Cheadle, at the Directors Guild of America building in Los Angeles.
“In light of today’s safety concerns around heightened wind activity and fire outbreaks in Los Angeles, we regret to inform you that we are cancelling tonight’s premiere of Unstoppable,” the company said. “As much as we were looking forward to celebrating this wonderful and inspiring film with you, safety is our first priority.”
Universal had been planning to premiere Wolf Man, starring Julia Garner and Christopher Abbott, at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
“Tonight’s premiere of Wolf Man is cancelled due to sensitivities around the worsening weather situation in LA and related evacuations,” the company said.
Netflix postponed an event for its Oscar contender Emilia Peréz “out of an abundance of caution due to the severe winds and fires currently affecting the L.A. area.” Star Karla Sofia Gascon and composers/songwriters Clément Ducol and Camille were scheduled to attend the event, which was set to take place at Grandmaster Recorders in L.A.
And Sony Pictures Classics canceled a screening of I’m Still Here, where Guillermo del Toro was to host a Q&A with Brazilian director Walter Salles and Golden Globe winner Fernanda Torres. Del Toro has been evacuated from his home.
Late Tuesday night, Paramount Pictures canceled its premiere for Better Man, which was scheduled to take place Wednesday.
“Due to the dangerous conditions affecting Los Angeles, we are canceling tomorrow’s premiere of Better Man,” a Paramount spokesperson said. “Our thoughts are with those impacted by the devastating fires resulting from these conditions, and we encourage everyone to stay safe and follow guidance and orders from local officials and government agencies.”
SAG Awards organizers also shifted their strategy due to the fires. The awards were scheduled to be announced by Joey King and Cooper Koch live and in-person but now will be shared via press release and the SAG Awards website. (See the nominations here.)
“In an abundance of caution for the safety of our presenters, guests, and staff, the live in-person 31st Annual SAG Awards nominations announcement has been cancelled due to the wildfires and adverse wind conditions in Los Angeles,” organizers said. “Nominees will be unveiled tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. PT via press release and the SAG Awards website. We look forward to celebrating these incredible actors and their work at the SAG Awards ceremony on February 23. In the meantime, we urge everyone to stay safe, and thank you for your continued support.”
TV premiere events planned Wednesday night for Max’s The Pitt and Prime Video’s On Call were also canceled. Roadside Attractions also canceled its premiere for Pamela Anderson’s The Last Showgirl, saying, “We are thankful to all first responders and our thoughts are with the people being affected.”
Events this weekend are already being canceled. BAFTA said of canceling its Tea Party event, “The safety of our colleagues, friends and peers in Los Angeles remains our utmost priority and our thoughts are with everyone impacted.”
Elsewhere, Los Angeles Zoo closed midday Tuesday through Wednesday. Iconic sites Griffith Park, Runyon Canyon, the Hollywood Reservoir and famed Hollywood Sign were all closed on Wednesday as all L.A. residents were urged to heed evacuation orders, stay off the roads and work from home amid poor air quality.
Levy, who is the current honorary mayor of the Pacific Palisades, evacuated the area early Tuesday, according to The Los Angeles Times, which spoke with him while he was stuck in traffic.
“The smoke looked pretty black and intense over Temescal Canyon,” he said. “I couldn’t see any flames, but the smoke was very dark.”
Guttenberg told KTLA that he was assisting with clearing streets to help residents evacuate and to allow firefighters easier access to reach the blaze.
“What’s happening is people take their keys with them as if they’re in a parking lot,” he said. “This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars. If you leave your car behind, leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there.”
Guttenberg said he was walking up Palisades Drive moving cars.
“There are families up there. There are pets up there,” he said. “There are people who really need help.”
He later appeared on CNN, saying: “This is the most unbelievable fire I’ve ever seen.”
Meanwhile, Woods shared photos and videos on his X account of the flames burning near his house.
“We were blessed to have LA fire and police depts doing their jobs so well,” he wrote in one post. “We are safe and out. There are several elementary schools in our neighborhood and there was an enormous community effort to evacuate the children safely. Can not speak more highly of the LA fire and LAPD.”
President Biden canceled plans to travel to Riverside County, which is adjacent to Los Angeles County, due to the strong gusts. He had been planning to announce two new national monuments there, but instead will deliver his remarks from Los Angeles.
This is a developing story.
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