Live Updates: Blaze Breaks Out in Hollywood Hills, as L.A. Wildfires Kill at Least 5
A central part of the city was under threat as a new fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills. Firefighters were already struggling to fight the worst blaze in Los Angeles history, and more than 100,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders.
A new wildfire broke out on Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, an area of central Los Angeles indelibly associated with the American film industry, as emergency crews struggled against several other devastating blazes that were raging out of control and forcing desperate evacuations.
Even though wildfires are a fact of life in the hills of Southern California, the experience of watching one encroach upon a metropolitan area left residents deeply unsettled and afraid.
The 60-acre Sunset fire, burning among the hiking trails and secluded mansions of the Hollywood Hills, was zero percent contained as of 9 p.m. local time. A mandatory evacuation order was in effect for a wealthy area bordered by Mulholland Drive and Hollywood Boulevard, and an evacuation warning extended west along Sunset Boulevard toward West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
The street names evoke the grandeur and romance of the movies, and the iconic “Hollywood” sign stands nearby, on the other side of the 101 Freeway.
As of Wednesday evening, five people had died as a result of the wildfires, more than 25,000 acres had burned, more than 100,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders and hundreds of thousands of customers had lost power. Glowing embers were floating through the sky like lightning bugs as thick black smoke turned day into night.
The largest of the blazes is the uncontained, 15,000-acre Palisades Fire. It has already consumed more than 1,000 structures, making it the most destructive in Los Angeles history, according to Cal Fire, the state fire agency.
About 16 million people in Southern California were under a red flag warning, the highest fire-related alert issued by the National Weather Service, by 9 p.m. on Wednesday. The agency said “extremely critical” fire weather conditions — the result of strong winds and dry conditions — were forecast to wane overnight. But conditions would remain “critically elevated” through at least Thursday and potentially into Friday, it said.
The city of Pasadena is warning residents of evacuated areas that their water is unsafe for drinking or cooking. Debris from the Eaton fire might have affected the water system in those regions, and residents are advised to stick to bottled water. “Do not try and treat the water yourself.” The city said a resolution was dependent on evolving fire, wind and related conditions.
The Sunswept fire that burned homes in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles has been extinguished, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. More than 50 firefighters were on the scene, and no injuries were reported.
Los Angeles is used to fires, but this amount of destruction is unusual. The Palisades and Eaton fires, which have destroyed at least 1,000 structures each, both rank among the 20 most destructive fires in California history. And they are the two most destructive fires to hit Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles area is experiencing a newfound sense of vulnerability as reports of new wildfires keep appearing throughout the day. Many are quickly snuffed out, while others linger for a while. They all prompt anxiety, considering the volatile nature of the Palisades and Eaton fires. A map of the current blazes across the region appears nearly like a ring of fire.
There have been problems with fire hydrants running dry. Gov. Gavin Newsom just said that California will mobilize as many as 140 2,500-gallon water tenders to help fight the Palisades and Eaton fires.
The Magic Castle in Los Angeles has temporarily closed as the Sunset fire spreads through nearby Runyon Canyon Park. The private club is attached to the Academy of Magical Arts, an order of magicians and a school devoted to the mastery of props like coins, cards and silks.
Firefighters are beginning to make progress containing some of the out of control blazes. The Hurst Fire, in the San Fernando Valley, is 10 percent contained and now 855 acres, the Angeles National Forest said in a statement.
Extreme winds have helped the fires in Southern California grow rapidly this week. The National Weather Service’s San Diego office said that the strongest wind gust it recorded on Wednesday was 94 miles per hour, around 4 a.m. in Fremont Canyon. The red flag warning in place for parts of Los Angeles until Friday extends to San Diego.
A blaze involving homes in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles and dubbed the Sunswept fire has prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to alert residents to prepare for a potential evacuation.
——–
