“Brush Fires Spark in Palisades Due to Powerful ‘Life-Threatening’ Windstorm in Southern California”

LOS ANGELES — The Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles was hit by a 200-acre brush fire on Tuesday morning. Structures were in danger as strong winds pounded the area, leading to evacuation orders.

The fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive, just north of the Palisades Hills Recreation Center. A massive plume of smoke billowed above the Santa Monica Mountains as the fire spread rapidly.

The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a statement through the NotifyLA alert system, warning about the Palisades Fire burning near Palisades Drive. Residents were advised to prepare for a potential wildfire evacuation by collecting supplies and ensuring the safety of their loved ones.

A massive contingent of Los Angeles city and county firefighting resources were deployed to the scene, including helicopters and Super Scoopers.

In a statement released at 11:13 a.m., Pepperdine University noted that fire officials predicted the fire had the potential to spread to as many as 200 acres “in the next 20 minutes as the winds push it from the northeast toward the Pacific Ocean. The fire is not presently a threat to the Malibu campus, though smoke from the fire is visible from campus.”

Shortly afterward, the LAFD issued a mandatory evacuation order for the area between Piedra Morada Drive and Pacific Coast Highway.

There were no confirmed reports of injuries or structural damage.

In a video published on X, actor James Woods said he was “standing in my driveway getting ready to evacuate.” The footage showed dramatic flames burning dangerously close to several hillside homes.

“We’ve got a lot of planes going over, dropping water,” Woods said, “but…”

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

DEVELOPING: More details will be added to this report as they become available.

Roads Affected

The greatest concern is for Highway 118 to the 210 corridor from Simi Valley to Claremont, NWS said.

The strong gusts of wind increase the risk for downed trees and powerlines, which could affect the roads.

The Topanga Canyon Boulevard will be completely closed between Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway in the unincorporated L.A. County area of Topanga in the Santa Monica Mountains from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Friday due to the red flag warning.

The Los Angeles Fire Department declared a red flag alert with special red flag parking restrictions beginning 8 a.m Tuesday. For a map of impacted streets, click here.

“It is important that fire apparatus have room to respond quickly to a fast-moving brush fire while simultaneously allowing residents to evacuate, if necessary,” said LAFD. “For this reason, special parking restrictions may exist on certain narrow streets in brush areas only during ‘Red Flag Alert’ conditions.”

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin also activated Red Flag Parking Restrictions within the city from 7 a.m Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon. The full list of impacted streets can be found here.

Risk of Power Outages

The strong winds could knock trees over and cause branches to strike power lines, potentially causing power outages.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power urges customers to prepare for possible power outages by keeping a flashlight nearby, keeping your cell phone fully charged, and keeping a portable charger handy.

If you see a downed line, the LADWP urges you to not approach nor touch it. Immediately report it 9-1-1. You can track and report outages here.

Southern California Preparations

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state is deploying resources to protect residents ahead of the wind event.

“The state is taking early, proactive steps to coordinate with local partners to protect communities as dangerous weather enters our state,” Newsom said in a press release. “We are no strangers to winter-time wildfire threats, so I ask all Californians to pay attention to local authorities and be prepared to evacuate if told to go.”

With the strong wind event this week, Ventura County Fire and other Southern California fire departments have begun to put resources in place to protect residents and properties.

“We know things are really dry. We know if there is a fire, it’s wind driven. And wind driven fires are our concern,” said Andy Van Sciver, the public information officer for Ventura County Fire. “That’s the type of fire we had for the Mountain fire and the Franklin Fire, so pre-positioning equipment as we’re planning to do will allow us to have resources quickly to the need.”

The recent Franklin Fire in Malibu and the Mountain Fire in Camarillo were driven by the strong winds. The forecast for the upcoming wind event isn’t as strong as what drove those two wildfires. Still, a Santa Ana wind event in January is unusual.

“We haven’t gotten any rain or precipitation this year. Our rainy season starts in October and we haven’t gotten any rain at all. So this is abnormal,” said Van Sciver.

Residents living in fire prone areas understand that when they hear red flag warnings because of winds, it raises concerns.

“Probably tomorrow when the winds kick up I’m not going to leave home I’m going to stay in case I have to evacuate,” said Channel Islands resident Margie Bradley. “I don’t want to be caught away from home and not be able to get my stuff and get my dog.”