By Miriam Raftery
Photo by Henri Migala
January 7, 2025 (Los Angeles) – The fast-moving Palisades Fire has burned 2,921 acres as of tonight, according to Cal Fire. The wildfire that began around 10:30 a.m. in Pacific Palisades has now forced evacuation of approximately 10,000 residents from 30,000 homes in Malibu, Topanga and Pacific Palisades, also forcing closure of portions of Pacific Coast Highway.
The fire is expected to worsen overnight, with extremely dangerous winds up to 100 miles per hour possible, the National Weather Service predicts. Already, gusts up to 70 miles per hour have fueled the conflagration. Wind speeds are expected to peak tomorrow, though strong winds are forecast through Friday.
Both Governor Gavin Newsom and the City of Los Angeles have issued emergency declarations. “This is a highly dangerous windstorm that’s creating extreme fire risk—and we’re not out of the woods,” Newsom said.
The fire has forced closure of multiple schools and burned portions of the Getty Museum property, though museum officials say the museum housing precious works of art is expected to remain safe, thanks to prior brush-clearing on the site.
Some residents racing to flee had to abandon their vehicles amid the fast-moving fire, running to the beach or back home to shelter in place. Firefighters responded to numerous calls, rescuing residents trapped at home, the Los Angeles Times reports.
All residents are urged to evacuate immediately when asked to do so by authorities. Travelers should check on road conditions before visiting the area.
ECM reporter Henri Migala, who is visiting Los Angeles,sent the above photo taken from his hotel room. Another ECM freelancer in Los Angeles on other business advises that the fire has caused long traffic delays for commuters attempting to leave the area.
Cal Fire has activated its Incident Management Team II to assist Los Angeles county and city firefighters.
Evacuation details are available via the Watch Duty App at https://share.watchduty.org/i/40335?ts+1736302139000.
For the latest fire updates from Cal Fire, visit https://fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/palisades-fire .