PACIFIC PALISADES—A wildfire erupted in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, January 7 that has threatened homes and properties in the region. The Los Angeles Fire Department indicated as of Wednesday, January 8 over 2920 acres of the blaze has spread that started at 1190 N Piedra Morada Dr.
Over 30,000 were forced to evacuate the region as the wildfire spread. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a State of Emergency on Wednesday. Thick smoke has been seen over the city of Santa Monica which issued a high wind warning in its region.
Officials indicated the wildfire in Pacific Palisades was the result of dry vegetation and high Santa Ana winds. The Los Angeles region has only received 16 inches of rain since October 1. The Pacific Palisades region is home to many A-list celebrities including Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Aniston and Tom Hanks. TMZ reported that Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, former starts of the MTV reality series, “The Hills” saw their home destroyed by the wildfire on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Palisades Charter High School, a location used in the 1976 horror flick “Carrie” was destroyed by the Palisades Fire. The school announced earlier in the day that it was closed as a result of the fire on its website. Some famed alumni of the school include Forrest Whitaker and J.J. Abrams.
Actor James Woods posted video on social media showing the threat of the fire to his home and the surrounding region.
“We were blessed to have LA fire and police depts doing their jobs so well. 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.
Movie premieres for the films “Unstoppable” and “Wolf Man” were cancelled as a result of the wildfires. In addition, the Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees, which were to be announced live by actors Joey King and Cooper Koch was cancelled and the nominees will be announced via the SAG Awards website and a press release on Thursday 7:30 a.m. PST.
The city of Santa Monica issued an Evacuation Orde for all regions of the city north of San Vicente via social media. The city of Malibu also noted on X/Twitter that “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 evacuations zone at Protect.Genasys.com/Seach. Avoid south/east PCH.”
The Getty Museum posted on social media on January 7 that, “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.”
Actor Steve Guttenberg spoke to reporters with KTLA about living in the region and trying to help residents in the region to move cars from the roads to help with officials trying to contain the blaze that was 0 percent contained as of Wednesday morning. The flames have also reached Eaton Canyon and Pasadena.
The LAFD posted on its website that EVACUATION ORDERS: Remain In Effect
-The area within the described box is under Evacuation Orders (interactive map above)
North to Mulholland Road
East to Kenter Rd
South to PCH
-Please turn off the power to your home before you leave
Westwood Recreation Center (1350 S Sepulveda Blvd 90025) is open for evacuees and accepts small animals. It is now also serving as shelter, allowing residents to remain overnight. Los Angeles Equestrian Center (480 Riverside Dr, Burbank) is open for evacuation of large animals.
The LAFD reported that winds forecasted to continue increasing through the night, the Mandatory Evacuation Zone has expanded east to Kenter and north to Mulholland Road. The evacuation map is linked above. This remains an extremely dynamic situation and all residents in the area asked to monitor the news, LAFD Alerts and be prepared for possible evacuation.
