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Authorities confirmed the first known fire deaths Wednesday morning as wildfires raged out of control in the Los Angeles area and tens of thousands of Southern California residents were ordered to evacuate.
As the sun rose over Los Angeles, strong winds sparked flames in four different locations, filling the sky with smoke and creating an apocalyptic hue. The National Weather Service said wind gusts ranged from 50 to 80 mph across the area, making it nearly impossible to control the fire.
Air quality across much of Los Angeles was deemed “very unhealthy,” with strong smoke smells even felt in parts of the city far from the fires. At a news conference Wednesday morning, authorities acknowledged they were still trying to understand the rapidly evolving incident.
Little is known about how the fires started, how many buildings were destroyed or how many people were killed or injured, and they said they were unable to control much of the fire that spread across the area.
The first fire that broke out in Pacific Palisades around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday quickly spread north to Malibu and threatened structures to the south in Santa Monica, Embers carried by strong winds engulfed entire streets.
By Wednesday morning, in addition to the first fire in Palisades, three other fires were burning in the area. Fires have broken out in areas north and east of Los Angeles, including the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, Altadena and Pasadena.
Residents of Pacific Palisades, a Pacific Coast Canyon community, contacted friends and family throughout the night, trying to determine whose homes were still intact. Many people living in the Palisades evacuated to nearby Santa Monica, only to be told they needed to move further south as night fell and nearby fires continued to rage.
“This is a tragic moment in our history in Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonald. “It is critical that we remain patient, united and focused on saving lives.”
Evacuation orders spread overnight to parts of Santa Monica and Malibu, two communities to the south and north of the Palisades.
Another fire broke out late Tuesday near Pasadena, south of the Los Angeles National Forest. The fire, known as the Eaton Fire, has spread to at least 2,227 acres and 48,000 evacuation orders have been issued, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Authorities say two people have died in the Eaton Fire, the first known fatality caused by the fire.
Meanwhile, in the San Fernando Valley, a third fire has spread to more than 500 acres, prompting mass evacuations. The combined fires strained firefighting resources in the area, and the Los Angeles Fire Department asked all off-duty firefighters to report if they could help put out the blazes.
According to reports, during the Altadena fire, some communities did not have firefighters present, and the fire department had extremely limited manpower. The three fires threatened some of the country’s most expensive properties, as well as many publicly owned buildings such as schools.
