Reuters/Los Angeles While a second fire doubled in size about 30 miles inland, a swiftly spreading wildfire raged throughout an expensive area of Los Angeles on Tuesday, damaging many buildings and causing traffic jams as over 30,000 people evacuated.
After warning of significant fire danger from powerful winds
that arrived after extended dry weather, officials said the Palisades Fire had
scorched at least 2,921 acres (1,182 hectares) in the Pacific Palisades area
between the coastal cities of Santa Monica and Malibu.
Local news station KTLA was informed by a fire official that multiple persons
were hurt, some of them had burns on their hands and faces. One female
firefighter had suffered a head injury, the source noted.
The second blaze dubbed the Eaton (NYSE:ETN) Fire
broke out some 30 miles (50 km) inland near Pasadena and doubled in size to 400
acres (162 hectares) in a few hours, according to Cal Fire.
Almost 100 residents from a nursing home in Pasadena were
evacuated, according to CBS News. Video showed elderly residents, many in
wheelchairs and on gurneys, crowded onto a smokey and windswept parking lot as
fire trucks and ambulances attended.
Fire officials said a third blaze named the Hurst Fire had
started in Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles,
prompting evacuations of some nearby residents.
PALISADES FIRE
As the fire extended from the hills of Topanga Canyon to the
Pacific Ocean, witnesses saw several burning homes, with flames almost
scorching their cars as they escaped.
According to local media, residences close to Malibu were set on fire as the
fire moved north.
At a press conference earlier, Los Angeles Fire Chief
Kristin Crowley said that 10,000 homes and over 25,000 people were under
threat.
Water from the sea was collected by firefighters in airplanes and dropped into
the surrounding fires. Television footage showed residences engulfed in flames
and abandoned cars being removed from roadways by bulldozers to make room for
emergency vehicles.
On the grounds of the Getty Villa, a museum containing
precious artwork, the fire scorched a few trees, but the collection was
unharmed.
Traffic slowed to a stop, forcing many to evacuate on foot
because there was only one main road that connected the canyon to the shore and
one coastal highway that led to safety.
Cindy Festa, a resident of Pacific Palisades, stated the fires were "this
close to the cars," indicating with her thumb and pointer as she left the
canyon.
"On Palisades Drive, many abandoned their vehicles.
Setting the hillside on fire. Everything is moving, including the palm
trees," Festa declared from her vehicle.
Prior to the incident, the National Weather Service had predicted wind gusts of
50 to 80 mph (80 to 130 kph) and issued its highest alert for dangerous fire
conditions for a large portion of Los Angeles County from Tuesday through
Thursday.
Dry and low in humidity
Governor Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency,
said the state positioned personnel, firetrucks and aircraft elsewhere in
Southern California because of the fire danger to the wider region, he added.
The powerful winds changed President Joe Biden's travel
plans, grounding Air Force One in Los Angeles. He had planned to make a short
flight inland to the Coachella Valley for a ceremony to create two new national
monuments in California but the event was rescheduled for a later date at the
White House. "I have
offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible
Pacific Palisades fire," Biden stated in a statement. Biden stated that
the state of California has already received approval for a federal grant to
help pay for its fire response.
Many celebrities from Hollywood call Pacific Palisades home.
While he was able to flee, actor James Woods stated on X, "I do not know
at this moment if our home is still standing."
Actor Steve Guttenberg told KTLA news that other people's abandoned cars in the
road made it difficult for his pals to evacuate.
"It's critical that everyone unite and stop worrying
about their individual belongings. Simply leave," Guttenberg urged.
"Get the people you care about and get
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