Southern California welcomed strong winds at the beginning of the year. The National Weather Service in the United States previously issued a warning that several areas in the region would experience a “life-threatening, destructive widespread storm” this week. On Tuesday, January 7th, the weather conditions in Southern California turned extremely severe: not only did rain and snow fall along with strong winds, but a wildfire also broke out in the affluent Pacific Palisades area.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported a wildfire near Pacific Palisades, which initially burned an area of about 20 acres. However, fueled by the strong winds, the wildfire rapidly spread to consume 200 acres of land within an hour. Local residents were issued mandatory evacuation orders by the fire department.
As of 11:54 a.m. that day, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced the closure of lanes on State Route 1, also known as Pacific Coast Highway, at the Topanga Canyon Boulevard intersection due to the wildfire spread, with no specific reopening time determined. The road closure would impact the normal commute of residents in cities such as Santa Monica and Malibu.
Cal Fire reported that the wildfire was spreading to the Chastain Parkway East and Calle Brittany areas, with flames reaching both sides of Palisades Drive.
Videos shared online by the public depicted heavy traffic on the closed section of the highway with cars lined up for miles. A video from “Cal Alert,” established by the University of California, San Diego, showed billowing black smoke rising from the hills, with massive flames leaping in many residential areas.
Authorities in California cautioned the public that the Santa Ana winds this week could reach speeds of 50 to 80 miles per hour along the coast and 80 to 100 miles per hour in mountain areas, significantly increasing the risk of wildfires.
Furthermore, Southern California has been experiencing extremely dry conditions, with no significant rainfall in the past 9 months. As the Santa Ana winds arrive, humidity could drop below 10% in the next two days, leading to a high risk of wildfires sparked by dry vegetation in the gusty winds.
Many areas in Los Angeles County and Ventura County are under a “red flag warning” for this week, signifying a “particularly dangerous situation,” a relatively rare alert issued by the National Weather Service under extreme circumstances. The fire warning took effect at 4 a.m. on Tuesday and is expected to last at least until Thursday afternoon.
The wide-reaching impact of this extreme weather includes neighborhoods with high Chinese population densities like San Gabriel Valley and Pasadena, as well as potentially affecting areas such as the Malibu coast, Hollywood, Antelope Valley, and downtown Los Angeles.
The National Weather Service advises residents to stay indoors as much as possible, away from windows, and to prepare for possible power outages. People living in mountainous areas are urged to be prepared for emergency evacuations at any moment.
California’s firefighting agency has taken measures to ensure personnel are prepared to respond to any emergency situations. However, officials are concerned that the strong winds could lead to power line collapses.
By 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Southern California Edison’s website indicated the potential for public safety power shutoffs in some of the areas most severely affected by the severe weather, affecting over 40,000 customers in Los Angeles County, Ventura County, Orange County, and Riverside County.
Southern California Edison explained the “public safety power shutoffs” as necessary due to the combined risk of strong winds and local dry vegetation increasing the wildfire risk, possibly requiring the shutdown of power sources to protect homes and communities.