Palisades fire: ‘Worst is yet to come’ as winds gain speed

Palisades fire: ‘Worst is yet to come’ as winds gain speed

Palisades fire: ‘Worst is yet to come’ as winds gain speed

Firefighters are bracing for a long and perilous night battling the Palisades fire as powerful winds are forecast to intensify, potentially hampering aerial firefighting efforts.

The fire, which erupted at 10:30 a.m. near Piedra Morada Drive, has been fueled by fierce wind gusts and had scorched 2,921 acres by early evening, forcing over 30,000 residents to evacuate. The extreme wind event in Southern California is expected to peak between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday, posing significant challenges to overnight containment efforts.

“This event is far from over; it’s just beginning and will worsen significantly before improving,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA, during a briefing Tuesday afternoon. The strongest winds and lowest humidity are still to come, Swain added.

As the evening progresses, wind speeds are expected to reach levels that could render aerial firefighting operations ineffective, with sustained gusts exceeding 30 to 40 mph, according to L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. Governor Gavin Newsom, who visited the fire site, emphasized that extreme winds disperse water and retardant drops, making them less effective. “We can be up there all day to make people feel better, but we’re not accomplishing much,” Newsom said.

The combination of high winds and critically low humidity increases the likelihood of new fires igniting overnight. “We are preparing for — and hoping to avoid — additional fires,” Newsom said, noting that resources have been strategically deployed to high-risk areas. Unfortunately, by 6:30 p.m., this concern became a reality, with a fire erupting in Pasadena’s foothills and growing to 20 acres. Another blaze broke out in Altadena near Eaton Canyon, burning 400 acres by 8:14 p.m. and prompting evacuations.

Meanwhile, the Palisades fire continued its destructive path, threatening thousands of homes and businesses. Crews worked tirelessly to protect landmarks like the Getty Villa and Palisades Charter High School. However, the iconic Reel Inn seafood restaurant in Malibu reportedly fell victim to the flames.

The National Weather Service has labeled this windstorm the most destructive to hit the Los Angeles region since 2011, issuing a “particularly dangerous situation” warning for extreme fire danger in Los Angeles and eastern Ventura counties. The warning, which preceded the ignition of the Palisades fire, remains in effect until Thursday.

Although the strongest winds are expected Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, fire danger will persist throughout the week. “Vegetation will grow progressively drier as the wind event continues,” Swain explained, adding that while the strongest winds occur early, the driest conditions may come later, prolonging the high fire risk.

Alex Hall, director of UCLA’s Center for Climate Science, pointed to recent weather patterns as a contributing factor to the heightened danger. “Southern California experienced an unusually hot summer, followed by almost no rainfall during what is typically the wet season,” he said. This followed two very rainy years, leaving abundant dry vegetation as fuel for wildfires.

Swain highlighted the role of climate change, noting that while it hasn’t necessarily increased the frequency of extreme wind events, it has amplified the overlap between these events and periods of extreme dryness during traditionally wetter months. Newsom echoed this, emphasizing that fire season is now a year-round reality. “November, December, January — there’s no fire season anymore. It’s a fire year,” he said.