Palisades Fire Crisis Intensifies Ahead Of Windstorm Event Early Next Week
Update (2005ET):
LA Times provided the latest on all four fires raging across the LA County area:
Palisades Fire:
Burned 22,660 acres and numerous homes, businesses and landmarks in Pacific Palisades and westward along Pacific Coast Highway, toward Malibu. As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning, the fire was 11% contained. Many parts of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica, Calabasas, Brentwood and Encino are under evacuation orders or warnings. More than 12,000 structures remain threatened. Officials estimate that more than 5,300 structures, including many homes, have been damaged or destroyed.
Eaton Fire:
Burned 13,956 acres and many structures in Altadena and Pasadena. Additional evacuation orders were mandated Thursday afternoon when fire climbed toward Mt. Wilson. Other mandatory evacuations were lifted as city officials notified residents in Glenoaks Canyon and Chevy Chase Canyon that it was safe to return to their homes. As of 8 a.m. Saturday morning, the fire was 15 % contained, on Friday, it was only at 3%. Officials say 7,000 structures have been damaged in the fire.
Kenneth Fire:
Burned 1,052 acres near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. As of 8 a.m. Saturday morning, the fire was 80% contained, according to Cal Fire. All evacuation warnings have been lifted for the fire.
Hurst Fire:
Burned 779 acres in the area around Sylmar. Evacuation orders have been lifted. As of 8 a.m. Saturday, the fire was 76% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Here are the latest LA Times headlines regarding the inferno:
All-out aerial assault works to save homes in Brentwood, Encino as Palisades fire approaches
LA County Supervisor invites Trump to see fire damage
UCLA students on high alert, but not under evacuation orders
1,680 National Guard troops now helping in fire zone
LADWP said 20% of fire hydrants sustained a loss of pressure
After faulty cell alerts during fire emergency, LA County overhauls its system
High winds, low humidity expected to fuel fires through Wednesday: 'Not looking good'
Death toll from LA firestorms rises to 13
Accuweather reported, "Santa Ana winds will pick up Saturday night into Sunday morning in Southern California, but a possibly strong wind event is coming early next week as wildfires continue."
He's not wrong. That's why local elections matter. We suspect a political shift is on the horizon.
If you live in Pacific Palisades, you paid your dues...
— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) January 11, 2025
Doctors, lawyers, agents, entrepreneurs, etc.
You believed in the American Dream. You paid your taxes. You trusted the system.
Then you adopted luxury beliefs like Affirmative Action and DEI and Climate Change™ and… pic.twitter.com/nYf30k1jEI
Good point.
But have you LOOKED at the prices of homes in Palisades? 5-50 MILLION DOLLARS… if insurance is forced to insure these homes the rest of us pay the price. Build multimillion dollar homes in fire prone hills at your own risk, not mine. https://t.co/6iGQaXEwZh pic.twitter.com/jHIU6z0vsR
— Kim Iversen 🇺🇸 (@KimIversenShow) January 11, 2025
Apocalypse.
The Los Angeles Pacific Palisades fires have turned one of the most expensive, beautiful and iconic cities in the world into an apocalypse zone
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) January 11, 2025
Somehow, Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass still have jobs
Someone make it make sense pic.twitter.com/g6roQJ5X6R
Via Daily Mail:
Two men are said to have been caught on camera dumping gasoline and setting it alight immediately before the devastating Palisades fire broke out, DailyMail.com has learned exclusively.
A resident of the ritzy celeb-packed area reported the video to a senior firefighter once the flames had started consuming the area.
About that 'climate change' narrative pushed by far-left corporate media.
AI...
My heart will go on 🎶🔥 pic.twitter.com/Qu8GwS7la8
— JonC Memes (@JonCovering) January 11, 2025
* * *
The Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, Kenneth Fire, Hurst Fire, and Lidia Fire have scorched over 27,000 acres, destroyed 12,000 structures, claimed at least 11 lives, and evacuated more than 150,000 people. Containment for the two largest fires, the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, remains in the mid-to-high single digits. Evacuation orders were issued overnight for Mandeville Canyon as the Palisades Fire advanced toward the Interstate 405 freeway.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for censorship of “misinformation” on the Los Angeles Fires
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) January 10, 2025
He wants censorship because he is directly responsible. Here’s drone footage of the Pacific Palisades fire destruction. This is a result of Gavin Newsom. He should resign. pic.twitter.com/SrPtIfRyc0
Firefighters continued battling the Palisades, Eaton, and other fires. A red flag warning via the National Weather Service was still in effect in the early morning hours.
LA Times provides the latest on all five fires raging across the LA County area:
Palisades Fire:
Burned 21,317 acres and numerous homes, businesses and landmarks in Pacific Palisades and westward along Pacific Coast Highway, toward Malibu. As of 5 a.m. Friday morning, the fire was 8% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. On Friday night, officials upgraded an evacuation warning to a mandatory order from Sunset Boulevard north to Encino Reservoir, from the 405 Freeway west to Mandeville Canyon. New evacuation warnings were issued for areas to the east of the 405 Freeway, north of West Sunset Boulevard and south of Mulholland Drive, along with areas south of Ventura Boulevard and east of Louise Avenue in Encino.
Eaton Fire:
Burned 14,117 acres and many structures in Altadena and Pasadena. Additional evacuation orders were mandated Thursday afternoon when fire climbed toward Mt. Wilson. Other mandatory evacuations were lifted as city officials notified residents in Glenoaks Canyon and Chevy Chase Canyon that it was safe to return to their homes. Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X on Friday morning that the fire was 3% contained as of 7:30 a.m.
Kenneth fire:
Burned 1,052 acres near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. As of 6 a.m. Friday morning, the fire was 50% contained, according to Cal Fire. All evacuation warnings have been lifted for the fire.
Hurst Fire:
Burned 771 acres in the area around Sylmar. Evacuation orders have been lifted. As of 8 p.m. Thursday night, the fire was 70% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Lidia Fire:
Burned 394 acres in Acton and is 98% contained, according to Cal Fire.
Fire Map (LA Times)
The latest concern has been a large flare-up in the Palisades area that prompted new evacuation orders from Sunset Boulevard north to Encino Reservoir, and from the 405 Freeway west to Mandeville Canyon. This area includes Brentwood and the foothills of the San Fernando Valley.
LA Times warned: "The Palisades fire can now be seen across Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, an unsettling development as officials worried about the fire expanding into neighborhoods in Encino and Brentwood and possibly jumping the 405 freeway into Bel Air."
Josh Sautter, president of the Encino Neighborhood Council, told the media outlet that the latest round of evacuation orders sent panic through the community.
"I don't think that people here really saw that it was coming," Sautter said, adding, "We didn't think that it was something that would really affect us — until it did."
Here are the latest LA Times headlines regarding the inferno:
Glow of Palisades fire seen across LA's San Fernando Valley; swaths of Encino, Brentwood told to evacuate
Latest Palisades fire evacuation order sends shock wave through Encino
LA County declares health emergency due to smoke and ash
State to probe why Pacific Palisades reservoir was offline, empty when firestorm exploded
Newsom orders investigation into dry fire hydrants that hampered firefighting in LA.
Insurance commissioner issues moratorium on home policy cancellations in fire zones
'We don't know half of it.' LA firestorm death toll expected to rise as searchers go door to door
Latest Zero Hedge headlines:
"Do Not Panic Buy": Officials Urge Calm As LA Fire Crisis Disrupts Main Fuel Pipeline To Las Vegas
"We're Not Screwing Around": LA Sheriff Declares Curfew Amid Arson & Looting Chaos
California-Based Insurer Crashes Amid Billions In LA Area Fire-Damage Losses
Arson Threats A "Major Issue" In Wildfire-Ravaged Los Angeles County
California Imposes 1-Year Insurance Cancellation Freeze In Areas Ravaged By Wildfires
Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass find themselves in the hot seat as their own liberal voter base turns against them, blaming the radical politicians for the spread of fire due to their massive mismanagement of budgets.
A Fox News report found that Newsom slashed funding for wildfire and forest resilience by more than $100 million last year. He signed the budget covering the 2024-25 fiscal year in June.
Even the left-leaning USA Today reported that new budget documents showed the mayor reduced the Los Angeles Fire Department's budget from $837 million in fiscal year 2024 to $819 million in fiscal year 2025.
In December, LAFD sent a report to the mayor and city council warning that " these budgetary reductions have adversely affected the Department's ability to maintain core operations."
The destruction caused by the wildfires is about twice the size of Manhattan, and growing, and in our view, will be a political disaster for both Newsom and Bass.
Elon Musk wrote on X the huge loss of mansions across LA has primarily been a failure of Newsom and Bass...
Exactly. Climate change risk is real, just much slower than alarmists claim.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2025
The immense loss of homes in LA is primarily due to:
1. Nonsensical overregulation that prevented creating fire breaks and doing brush clearing.
2. Bad governance at the state and local level that… https://t.co/KByGVCjQ8N
On Friday evening, Newsom was trying to salvage his dumpster fire political career by inviting President-elect Donald Trump to California.
.@realDonaldTrump, as you prepare to assume the presidency once more, I invite you to come to California.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2025
The hundreds of thousands of Americans – displaced from their homes and fearful for the future – deserve to see us all working together in their best interests, not… pic.twitter.com/R3C7cGqdBh
Newsom also noted on X, "I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir."
NEW: I am calling for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to local fire hydrants and the reported unavailability of water supplies from the Santa Ynez Reservoir.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 10, 2025
We need answers to ensure this does not happen again and we have every resource available to… pic.twitter.com/R0vq0wwZph
Newsom is getting angry.
This is not true. https://t.co/70J4YCF4Nw
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 11, 2025
Community Noted.
A ridiculous lie. We have doubled the size of our firefighting army, built the world’s largest aerial firefighting fleet, and increased the forest management ten-fold since taking office.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 11, 2025
Time to serve these folks the facts. https://t.co/qITPcQDTKk
It's not surprising at all that liberal Californians, including Hollywood elites, voted in Mayor Bass, a Marxist!
Karen Bass is a Marxist who praised Fidel Castro and Communist Party USA leaders.
— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) January 10, 2025
Now her fire response makes sense. pic.twitter.com/JGyD7KK3xO
LA Mayor Karen Bass is a trained Marxist terrorist who traveled to Cuba dozens of times, praised communist dictators and allied with the literal terror group that bombed the US Capital.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 9, 2025
One has to assume she’s burning LA on purpose. Bass should be in jailpic.twitter.com/4UmSK4Z47p
Local elections matter—what were you all thinking?
Also, all of this proves that you can not rely on gov't....