Flames destroy villas of the stars Third fire breaks out in Los Angeles - More than 52,000 evacuations
A severe forest fire is raging on California's Pacific coast. Thousands of people are fleeing the fire inferno. Prominent residents are also affected.
08.01.2025, 05:02
08.01.2025, 14:08
dpa
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- 52,000 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.
- The flames are a particular threat to the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood on the Pacific coast, where stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks and Reese Witherspoon have homes.
The wildfires around the US metropolis of Los Angeles are coming to a head. A third fire near the town of San Fernando north of Los Angeles has spread over an area of more than two square kilometers, according to the authorities. Residents of surrounding communities have been forced to evacuate their homes.
At least two other fires are raging near the West Coast metropolis. According to the authorities, the largest of these, near the Pacific Palisades district, now covers an area of almost twelve square kilometers. Another fire is burning near the city of Pasadena in the north-east of Los Angeles, covering an area of more than four square kilometers.
All three fires have not yet been contained. Evacuation orders are in place for tens of thousands of people. Several people have suffered burn injuries, reported the Los Angeles Times.
52,000 people are affected by evacuations. This was announced by the forestry administration of the US West Coast metropolis on Platform X. Almost 21,000 buildings are currently threatened by the flames.
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 move 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.
Dense smoke over the city
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 predicted strong dry winds for the region, which can drive fires quickly.
Strong winds prevent extinguishing from the air
Strong winds are preventing the use of fire-fighting aircraft in the fight against two devastating forest fires in the area around the US metropolis of Los Angeles. Aerial firefighting was not effective as water and extinguishing agents could not be properly distributed due to the extreme wind, US media reported, citing Californian authorities.
The large fire in the Pacific Palisades area has now spread to an area of more than 11 square kilometers, according to the Californian authorities. On Tuesday evening (local time), a second fire broke out in the vicinity of the nearby city of Pasadena. Rescue workers who are not on duty or on vacation are called to report for duty. According to the website poweroutage.us, around 192,000 households in the California area are without electricity.
Many stars affected by the fire
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.
Hollywood stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, Tom Hanks, Reese Witherspoon, Rita Ora, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Michael Keaton, Miles Teller, Kathleen Kennedy and other stars also have houses or live in Pacific Palisades.
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.
Eugene Levy was also evacuated. In a telephone conversation with the "Los Angeles Times" on Tuesday, the star of "Schitt's Creek" said: "The smoke over Temescal Canyon looked pretty black and intense. I couldn't see any flames, but the smoke was very dark."
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 issued the highest warning level for fire danger this week.
Pictures and videos on social media show the extent
Videos on social media show the situation in Los Angeles. One user writes on X: "Just a block away from the 210 Freeway on Yarnell Street in Sylmar." "The wind is extreme and throwing embers across the freeway."
Joe Biden also commented on the fire on X. Among other things, he writes: "My team and I are in contact with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance needed to fight the terrible Pacific Palisades Fire."
A forest fire in the west of Los Angeles causes residents to flee.
Image: Keystone
Strong winds are making firefighting efforts difficult.
Image: Keystone
Firefighters battle the flames in Pacific Palisades.
Image: Keystone
Fierce winds increase the fire danger in Southern California.
Image: Keystone
Fierce winds are rapidly driving the fire in Southern California.
Image: Keystone
A forest fire in the west of Los Angeles causes residents to flee.
Image: Keystone
Strong winds are making firefighting efforts difficult.
Image: Keystone
Firefighters battle the flames in Pacific Palisades.
Image: Keystone
Fierce winds increase the fire danger in Southern California.
Image: Keystone
Fierce winds are rapidly driving the fire in Southern California.
Image: Keystone