‘Fire year’ erupts in Pacific Palisades
Jan. 13, 11:10 am - CAL Fire has updated that the Palisades fire is now 14% contained. Santa Ana winds are expected to pick up again through Wednesday, Jan. 14. A red flag warning will stay in effect until 6:00 pm on Jan. 14.
Jan. 12, 12:35 pm - SMC will resume on-ground classes, services, and business operations on Monday, Jan. 13, the Senior Administration and Emergency Operations Team wrote in a statement on Sunday. This applies to all campuses except Malibu, which will stay remote until further notice.
The Performing Arts Center parking lot is currently being used by the SMPD to “provide support to the near firefighting operations,” and students attending on-campus classes there should find parking in “the rows nearest to Santa Monica Boulevard.”
Anyone seeking relief resources and/or outlets for providing charity is encouraged to visit smc.edu/disasterrelief.
Jan. 10, 3:40 pm - The City of Santa Monica has updated that the Evacuation Order for North of Montana to San Vicente has now been changed to an evacuation warning. Residents are able to return back to the area but should remain prepared to evacuate if needed.
The evacuation order has been lifted for between Wilshire Boulevard and Montana, allowing residents to return. The city has also issued a curfew from sunset to sunrise where mandatory evacuation orders are in place.
Local high school Saint Monica Preparatory will also be providing relief services and resources for those in need on Jan. 11 from 12 - 4 pm. These services and resources will be available at 1030 Lincoln Boulevard, 90403.
Jan. 10, 3:05 pm - There are opportunities to donate and help those affected by the wildfires, including Donations for Patrick Connor, SMC Photo Lab manager, and family. As well as Terri Bromberg, SMC Art Department Professor, and family.
Jan. 10, 12:08 pm - CAL Fire has updated that the Palisades fire is now at 8% containment, with also a new total of 3 fatalities.
Jan. 10, 11:01 am - The SMC Foundation is holding a Fire Support Resource Drive from Jan. 13-14 to collect items that will be distributed in Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Brentwood, and Greater Los Angeles County. Items can be dropped off 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. on Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 at 3171 S. Bundy Dr. in Los Angeles.
To acess the list of acceptable items to donate, and/or make a contribution to the Santa Monica Communiy College Disaster Support Fund, visit http://smc.edu/disastersupport .
Jan. 9, 8:24 pm - For resources including shelters, services, animal care, and places to donate and volunteer check out LA Fire Mutual Aid Resources.
Jan. 9, 7:20 pm - CAL Fire has updated that the Palisades fire has now reached 6% containment, as per the CALFIRE website.
Jan. 9, 12:40 pm - Big Blue Bus will continue to suspend fares on Thursday, Jan. 9, and plans to resume charging on Jan. 10.
Jan. 8, 8:45 pm - Big Blue Bus is providing free transit to the Westwood evacuation shelter every hour on the hour from Lincoln Boulevard and Montana Avenue The service is suspending all ride fares on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and plans to resume charging on Jan. 9.
Jan. 8, 5:30 pm - As of Wednesday afternoon, the SMC Senior Administration and Emergency Operations Team announced to students via email and text that the college will continue remote learning and services until Friday, Jan. 10. The City of Santa Monica also announced an expanded evacuation order to all areas located north of Montana Avenue to 11th Street as of 2:30 pm.
The city also expanded an evacuation warning to areas north of Wilshire Boulevard and west of 10th street.
As of 5:23 pm, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water has advised consumers in the 90272 zip code and those North of San Vicente Boulevard to strictly use boiled tap water or bottled water for cooking and drinking purposes, as the low water pressure can pose a health risks and affect the water quality.
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A fire in the Pacific Palisades upset residents of Los Angeles County and might be indicative of a recent shift in the region’s fire behavior.
The Palisades fire sparked at around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and pummeled through the Pacific Palisades area at remarkable speeds, aided by wind gusts upwards of 60 miles per hour.
These voracious winds enabled widespread visibility of the flames, speckling the skies across Los Angeles and causing panic. This week, the typical Santa Anas are further enriched by what the National Weather Service of Los Angeles describes on X as a “LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm… Areas not typically windy will be impacted (capitals theirs).”
Additionally, embers flickering through the air are circulating faster than ever with the strength of the winds, risking springup of additional mini brush fires all over the county. At the time of publication, the fire covers 2,925 acres with very little containment activity.
Residents and spectators around the area commonly shared feeling ambushed by the fire’s “unprecedented” high-speed growth. However, battalion chief David Acuna of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) identifies myriad explanatory causes.
Acuna told the Corsair that while fires of this magnitude are “unusual for this time of year, they’re not unheard of.”
“We recently changed from talking about ‘fire season,’ April to October, (to) where we pretty much have a ‘Fire Year’ now.”
Despite the fire’s rapid advancement, containment isn’t an immediate priority. As of Tuesday, the department’s primary concern is dispersing as many people as possible from areas of danger.
“While we are working on containing the fire, the most important thing is making sure people get out safely, which is why the (evacuation) areas are so large,” said Acuna.
As the winds pick up throughout the week as predicted, the Evacuation Zone is growing. Those within the perimeters of Evacuation Orders face an “immediate threat to life.” The far-larger area tagged with Evacuation Warnings aren’t issuing evacuation mandates, but without sufficient containment, the “immediate” fire risk may permeate into those areas.
The cause is currently marked “Under Investigation” by CAL FIRE. Acuna reported that fire teams “have not even begun that investigation yet.”
The “unprecedented” nature of the rapid fires may actually have fiscal backings. In 2024, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass proposed deducting $22,909,285 million from the fire department in the city budget. The L.A. City Council approved the budget in May.
When panic hit Palisades residents, everyone’s decision to zip away by car was cut short in their uniformity of action. Facing jammed traffic, a huge aggregate of cars was abandoned by their drivers, who presumably fled and sought alternate methods of evacuation. A pileup of cars on Palisades Drive was shoveled away by bulldozers to clear a path for emergency vehicles.
Among other icons of wealth, actor Steve Gutenberg encouraged resident compliance with orders from, as well as recommendations by, their fire departments.
“This is not a parking lot. We really need people to move their cars,” he told KTLA. In cases of unavoidable parking, if the car keys aren’t also left behind as recommended, the fire crews must resort to the bulldozer extremity.
Though they might overwhelm the headlines, the crisis isn’t limited to the affluent. Over 30,000 persons are demanded to evacuate at-risk structures and facilities, and various communal settings have been threatened, including RV parks and local public schools. The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center was engulfed and destabilized by blazes.
As of Wednesday, fire crews have reported a significant quantity of injuries among those who did not evacuate.
Before evacuating, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) implores residents to shut off power to their home and pay consistent attention to LAFD Alerts.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Santa Monica College Emergency Management Team emailed students that the high winds, originating from the north-northeast, are “pushing the fire away from SMC.”
The College alleges there is “currently no threat to Santa Monica.” However, classes and in-person services on all campuses will be closed through Wednesday, Jan. 8.
The threat might be more widespread than the average citizen is aware of. Multiple fires at the end of December and the antsy breaking Eaton Fire are additional consequences of the newfound “fire year,” which is inextricably linked to climate change.
On the threat of climate change, “our governor and our fire chief have made it very clear,” said Acuna. He explained that changes like higher temperatures and excessive rainfalls have cushioned the growth of grasses and light bushes, highly flammable flora that “is what typically drives most of these fires.”
An evacuation shelter set up at the Westwood Recreation Center (1350 South Sepulveda Blvd 90025) offers a swath of resources, overnight residences, and proper evacuation for “small animals.”
Authorities are establishing shelter centers at El Camino Real Charter High School (5440 Valley Circle Blvd 91367) and the Pasadena Convention Center (300 E Green St 91101).
Larger animals may be evacuated at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center (480 Riverside Dr).
Other animal evacuation shelters include the Pierce College Equestrian Center (7100 El Rancho Dr), Rose Bowl Stadium (1001 Rose Bowl Dr 91103), Agoura Animal Care Center (29525 Agoura Rd 91301), and Pasadena Humane Society (361 S Raymond Ave 91105).
Road closures include Coastline Drive and Southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Las Flores Canyon Rd and Topanga Canyon Blvd. For updated news on the Palisades Fire, visit https://lafd.org/news/palisades-fire-0.
The Corsair will continue to update this story as the situation progresses.