Los Angeles wildfires latest: 5 dead as crews struggle to contain blazes
LOS ANGELES - Several wildfires continued to burn across the Los Angeles area on Wednesday, destroying homes and businesses, closing schools, clogging roadways and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.
At least 70,000 residents were under evacuation orders on Wednesday morning.
The Palisades Fire broke out on Tuesday morning and ripped through Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood, a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences and memorialized by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit "Surfin' USA."
In the frantic haste to get to safety, roadways became impassable when scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some with suitcases.
A second fire, dubbed the Eaton Fire, broke out Tuesday evening near Pasadena. FOX 11 Los Angeles’ crew was at the scene in Altadena as a group of nursing home residents were being evacuated from the area. In addition to family members and loved ones living in nursing homes, animals were also seen being escorted out of the dangerous fire.
Five people died as a result of that fire, county officials confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a third blaze, called the "Hurst Fire," that started around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. It quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar, a San Fernando Valley community that is the northernmost neighborhood in Los Angeles.
Two additional fires, the Tyler Fire in Riverside County, and the Woodley Fire around the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Encino, broke out Wednesday morning – adding to the dire situation for firefighters.
Flames were being pushed by Santa Ana winds topping 60 mph in some places. The winds were expected to increase overnight, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph in the mountains and foothills — including in areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, warning that the worst of the winds were expected between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
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.
The causes of all three fires were under investigation.
Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. local time and had burned 15,832 acres with 0% containment as of Wednesday afternoon.
Several evacuation orders and warnings were put in place, including Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica, according to FOX 11.
Over 100 cars were abandoned on the road as people fled on foot, the news station reported. The traffic jam that occurred on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from getting through. A bulldozer was brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path.
Eaton Fire
Horses rescued from fire in Southern California
A new fire fueled by high winds has erupted in the Eaton Canyon area near Pasadena as crews are also battling another fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood near the Los Angeles area. FOX 11 Los Angeles caught up with a woman rescuing her horses near the Eaton fire. Austin Westfall also discusses the latest with both fires with CAL FIRE's David Acuna.
As firefighters battled the massive fire in the Pacific Palisades, the Eaton Fire erupted shortly after 6:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday near the Altadena-Pasadena area.
It quickly exploded to 10,600 acres with 0% containment as of 10:45 a.m. PT on Wednesday, according to the Angeles National Forest X account. The fast-moving fire prompted evacuations, FOX 11 reported, and more than 100 structures have burned so far.
During an update on Wednesday afternoon, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said five people were killed, a significant number of injuries were reported, and 100 structures were damaged.
Sunset Fire
During a news conference on Wednesday evening, officials announced a new fire located in the Hollywood Hills located on N. Solar Dr., according the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for Laurel Canyon Blvd. to Mulholland Dr., stretching east to the 110 Freeway and south to Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott urged residents to evacuate early, saying, "If you see smoke, you smell smoke, get into that ready-set-go."
The fire is threatening iconic landmarks, including the Hollywood sign, Griffith Observatory, and the Hollywood Bowl, as Los Angeles continues to face relentless wildfire challenges.
Hurst Fire in Sylmar
Third wildfire erupts in LA County
More than 1,400 firefighters are battling three Wildfires in LA County. The latest Hurst fire erupting late Tuesday night, already 500 acres. Meanwhile the Palisades and Eaton fires continue to burn at more than 1,000 acres causing evacuations across the county. More than 20,000 homes have been damaged.
The Hurst Fire in Sylmar – the third to break out on Tuesday in the area – was first reported a little before 10:15 p.m. local time, according to FOX 11.
The fire quickly stretched to over 800 acres with 10% containment, according to Angeles National Forest, and officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department warned it was rapidly spreading.
Tyler Fire
A fourth fire, dubbed the Tyler Fire, began around 3:25 a.m. local time in Riverside County, officials said.
It had burned about 15 acres and was 100% contained by Wednesday afternoon, according to Cal Fire updates.
Officials in the area said affected residents were being evacuated, and two structures were destroyed.
Woodley Fire
A map of ongoing wildfires in Southern California. (Fox News)
A fifth wildfire in Southern California, called the Woodley Fire, broke out in Los Angeles County around 6:15 a.m. local time Wednesday in the Encino area, according to Cal Fire. It had burned about 30 acres around the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve and was 0% contained.
The Woodley Fire is located between the massive Palisades Fire to the south, and the Hurst Fire to the north, officials say.
Federal response
Five U.S. Forest Service large air tankers have been assisting with fire-containment operations in Southern California, with another tanker on the way, according to a White House tweet.
Ten federal firefighting helicopters have also been deployed to assist.
FEMA has also approved Fire Management Assistance Grants to reimburse the state and dozens more fire engines are on standby to be deployed if needed.
President Joe Biden has also directed the Department of Defense to provide any additional firefighting personnel and capabilities.
"Additionally, two Modular Air Fire Fighting System units are being deployed from each of the California and Nevada National Guards, and ten Navy helicopters with water buckets are en route from San Diego," the White House said via X.
The Source: Information used in this story was sourced from FOX 11 Los Angeles in Southern California. It was reported from Cincinnati, and the Associated Press and FOX News contributed.