Wildfires tore across the Los Angeles area with devastating force on Wednesday after setting off a desperate escape from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke.
Flames broke out on Tuesday evening near a nature preserve in the inland foothills northeast of LA while another blaze that started hours earlier ripped through the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood. A third wildfire started around 10:30 p.m. and prompted evacuations in Sylmar, the northernmost neighborhood in Los Angeles. The causes of all three fires were under investigation.
Here’s the latest:
What should be in a ‘Go bag’?
Cal Fire says a “go bag” should include:
— A map with at least two evacuation routes
— Necessary prescriptions or medical items like eyeglasses
— Extra car keys, cash or credit cards
— A basic first-aid kit
— A flashlight and battery-powered radio with extra batteries
— Copies of important documents like passports or birth certificates.
It should also include a three-day supply of non-perishable food and water per person, as well as food and water for any pets. N95 masks can help filter out many of the particles in wildfire smoke, and an extra cellphone battery or charger can also be helpful.
“Plan like you’re going on a trip for seven days. Have clothes, toilet paper, toothbrush, soap, a towel in there,” said Jesse Torres, a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said.
Safety tips on what to do before and when evacuating
1. Sign up for regional alerts. Many communities, including several in California, have warning alert systems that allow residents to sign up for push notifications to their mobile phones or email accounts.
2. Have an emergency action plan. Household emergency action plans help ensure that all members of a family know exactly what to do and where to go during a wildfire.
3. Pack a “Go Bag” or emergency supply kit.
4. Protect your home. If time allows, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends connecting water hoses and filling garbage cans, tubs, pools and the like with water to help firefighters if they end up on your property.
5. Don’t wait for an evacuation order — just go.
Don’t wait for an evacuation order, experts say
Evacuating a wildfire area can be scary, but experts say people can significantly improve their own safety with a little preparation and common sense.
Creating a wildfire action plan, packing a “go bag” and maintaining basic situational awareness during evacuations can make a big difference when escaping a disaster, Jesse Torres, a battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said.
But the most important tip? Don’t wait around for an evacuation order, Torres said.
“The biggest thing is to get out early, before the notifications come out. It’s so important to avoid the congestion,” he said.
A city aglow
The morning sky is lightening, and soon the scope of the devastation will be more clear. Some hillsides are glowing from the scattered fires.
When does California’s wildfire season typically begin?
Generally, it starts in June or July and runs through October, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
However, January wildfires are not unprecedented — there was one in 2022 and 10 in 2021, according to CalFire.
Recent data shows the season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change. That means rains that usually end fire season are often delayed and fires can burn through the winter months as a result, the association says.
Strong Santa Ana winds are driving the fires
The National Weather Service is receiving reports of winds up to 80 mph (129 kph) this morning. They could top 100 mph (160 kph) in mountains and foothills and include areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.
Red flag warnings are highlighting extremely critical fire weather conditions. Those include exceptionally dry relative humidity levels, according to Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist with the weather service.
He says the winds are expected to continue into Thursday, too, “providing very little in terms of any relief.”
The scene on Wednesday morning
Sunrise is in a little over an hour.
Overnight, the images were stark: The skeleton of a Christmas tree was framed in a blazing window in the Pacific Palisades.
Opulent homes collapsed in a whirlwind of flaming embers.
The tops of palm trees whipped against the glowing red sky.
Vast clouds of smoke dwarfed the water dumped by helicopters attempting to calm the flames.
