USA Fire inferno near Los Angeles sends thousands fleeing
Tens of thousands of people are fleeing rapidly spreading flames in Southern California. An initially small fire on the western edge of Los Angeles quickly turned into an inferno due to strong winds. Some of the residents of Pacific Palisades on the Pacific coast had to flee their homes. 30,000 people were affected by evacuations, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley announced on Tuesday afternoon (local time). There were initially no reports of injuries, but several buildings had gone up in flames, Crowley said.
08.01.2025, 06:28
SDA
Chaotic scenes on the streets
She described the deployment of more than 250 firefighters as "extremely difficult". There were chaotic scenes on some streets in the affluent district. Traffic came to a standstill and cars were stuck in traffic jams. Some abandoned their vehicles and made their way to safety on foot. The fire department had to use bulldozers to move parked cars out of the way so that their fire engines could get on, reported KTLA.
"It's bad, it's like an inferno," Lori Libonati, who fled her home in Pacific Palisades, told the Los Angeles Times. The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has declared a state of emergency for the region. He warned of a "highly dangerous wind storm" and urged residents to follow the fire department's evacuation calls. Pacific Palisades is an affluent neighborhood in the west of Los Angeles with around 25,000 residents. Stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks and Reese Witherspoon have homes there.
Thick smoke over the city
The flames had spread to an area of more than five square kilometers in a short time, according to the authorities. The cause of the fire was initially unknown. Thick smoke could be seen over the hilly hinterland from the beaches in Los Angeles. In the evening, the threatening blaze bathed the sky in red light.
The fire broke out on Tuesday morning (local time) when fierce winds were raging. The weather authorities have forecast strong dry winds for the region, which can drive fires quickly.
Events canceled
Several events in Hollywood were canceled due to the weather conditions. Film studios canceled the planned premiere celebrations for the films "Unstoppable" and "Wolf Man", reported the industry portal "Hollywood Reporter". A screening of the film "I'm Still Here", which was to be hosted by director Guillermo del Toro, was also canceled. Del Toro had to leave his house because of the fire, it was reported.
Actor James Woods let his followers know on X that he was safe. "I don't know at this moment if our house is still standing," he wrote on the short message service. Sadly, some houses on his street had burned down, he continued.
Dry weather exacerbates the situation
It was only in December that a devastating forest fire raged in the Californian coastal town of Malibu. The flames spread from the hilly hinterland to the beaches. Sections of the famous Pacific Coast Highway had to be closed. Several houses burned down. Thousands of residents were affected by evacuations, including celebrities such as singer Cher, actresses Jane Seymour and Mira Sorvino and actors Mark Hamill and Dick Van Dyke.
In Southern California, rainfall has largely failed to materialize in recent months. Dry vegetation easily catches fire under these conditions. Due to extreme winds, the authorities had declared the highest warning level for fire danger this week.
