A wildfire driven by ferocious Santa Ana winds tore through Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Tuesday, destroying homes, forcing mass evacuations, and prompting warnings of further devastation as winds are expected to intensify. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who visited the area, described widespread destruction and cautioned that the fire's full impact is yet to be felt.
The fire began late Tuesday morning near Piedra Morada Drive and rapidly consumed nearly two square miles of land, propelled by winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour. Officials estimated that more than 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders, while over 13,000 structures remained at risk. By the evening, over 28,000 households were without power as utility companies initiated preemptive outages to prevent additional blazes from being sparked by power lines.
Newsom, speaking to reporters after surveying the affected area, described the scene as "devastating," with embers flying and winds spreading flames unpredictably. He declared a state of emergency and warned residents that the worst may lie ahead as wind speeds were forecasted to exceed 100 miles per hour in some areas overnight, creating conditions conducive to rapid fire expansion.
Road closures and gridlock complicated evacuation efforts, with sections of the Pacific Coast Highway and Interstate 10 shut down to all but emergency traffic. Some residents abandoned their vehicles in the chaos, fleeing on foot as flames approached. One resident, Kelsey Trainor, recounted being trapped on a road surrounded by fire as ash fell from the sky. "People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming. The road was just blocked, like full-on blocked for an hour," she said.
The Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood known for its multimillion-dollar homes and celebrity residents, became the epicenter of frantic efforts to save lives and property. Helicopters dropped water on flames that engulfed hillside homes, while residents scrambled to evacuate. Will Adams, a lifelong resident, described the surreal scene as he raced to collect his children from school while his wife evacuated on foot after embers flew into her car. "It is crazy, it's everywhere, in all the nooks and crannies of the Palisades. One home's safe, the other one's up in flames," Adams said.
Amid the crisis, some notable residents documented the unfolding disaster. Actor James Woods posted video footage showing towering flames near his property, while Steve Guttenberg appealed for evacuees to leave their car keys behind to make way for fire trucks. "I have friends up there and they can't evacuate. ... I'm walking up there as far as I can moving cars," Guttenberg said, urging people to think of the broader community.
The wildfire disrupted daily life across the area. Several schools relocated students and staff, while film studios canceled planned premieres. The Getty Villa, an iconic museum on the eastern edge of the Pacific Palisades, reported minor vegetation damage but confirmed that its collections and staff remained safe.
President Joe Biden, who was in Los Angeles for unrelated events, canceled plans to travel elsewhere and stayed in the city to monitor the situation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant to assist with firefighting costs.
Southern California has faced persistently dry conditions, with little rain since early May. These conditions, combined with unusually strong Santa Ana winds, have left the region particularly vulnerable to wildfires. Forecasters warned of a "life-threatening windstorm," with the current event deemed the strongest since 2011.
