The Eaton, Palisades, Hurst fires and more are still burning across Southern California. What we know:
Destructive winds not seen for more than a decade fanned multiple fires across the region. There’s little sign of relief as strong Santa Anas are expected to last through much of today.
The Palisades Fire that started on Tuesday morning spread quickly in the subsequent hours. But by the evening, firefighters also had to battle another fast-moving blaze that ignited near Eaton Canyon in Altadena. By Wednesday morning, firefighting resources were maxed out with help arriving from elsewhere in California and other states.
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Eaton Fire
Two people have died in the Eaton Fire and a significant number of people have been injured as of Wednesday morning, officials said. A firefighter was also injured as the fire continues to spread beyond Altadena, according to L.A. County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone. The fire was estimated at more than 10,000 acres. as of Wednesday afternoon.
Palisades Fire
The Palisades Fire continued to spread across the Santa Monica Mountains overnight, growing to more than 11,000 acres on Wednesday. At a news conference, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said that an estimated 1,000 structures had been destroyed. He also said firefighters had been injured and reported a “high number of significant injuries” to residents who didn’t evacuate.
Hurst Fire
The Hurst Fire, which broke out Tuesday night near Sylmar as the Los Angeles area was already reeling from two others, has now burned 700 acres as of midday Wednesday, officials reported.
School closures
School districts across Los Angeles County have announced plans to close all or some schools as multiple fires spread across the Los Angeles area. In total, at least 22 school districts have announced full or partial closures, according to the L.A. County Office of Education.
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Understanding how it got this bad
It’s easy to feel like we’re in a dark timeline. Waking up to smoke and flames, staring down a future of burned homes, lost forests, and orange skies. Over the past decade and a half, California has been hit by nine out of ten of its largest fires on record.
In 2022, LAist Studios expanded its podcast about earthquakes, The Big One, with a series about wildfires in The Big Burn. We recommend starting with this episode in which host Jacob Margolis highlights practical advice and safety tips.
The Big Burn: The Advice Episode
For our podcast series on fires in California, we asked what you wanted to know and got some answers.
Or start with Episode 1
Get ready now. Listen to our The Big Burn podcast
Jacob Margolis, LAist’s science reporter, examines the new normal of big fires in California.
