CA - Pacific Palisades - 30,000 People Ordered to Evacuate From L.A. Wildfires

[LittleSeaTree]

Omg. LA Fire Chief believes fire started accidentally in a back yard as “time lapsed video showed an innocuous trail of smoke rising from the back garden in the outskirts of LA”

Fire investigators start investigating right away, yes? ie: before the fires are even contained?

 

[DS2021]

Omg. LA Fire Chief believes fire started accidentally in a back yard as “time lapsed video showed an innocuous trail of smoke rising from the back garden in the outskirts of LA”

Do we know which fire? Theres multiple big ones

 

[Dotta]

"Jamie Lee Curtis
is donating $1million to LA fire relief efforts
after crying over Pacific Palisades destruction.



She wrote:

'As the fire still rages on and @calfire @losangelesfiredepartment and all the available first responders and agencies involved in fighting fire and saving lives are still hard at work and neighbors and friends are banding together to save each other, my husband and I and our children have pledged $1 million from our Family Foundation to start a fund of support for our great city and state and the great people who live and love there'."

Jamie Lee Curtis is donating $1million to LA fire relief efforts

Jamie Lee Curtis has revealed she is donating $1million toward LA fire relief efforts after fighting back tears over the destruction of Pacific Palisades.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[LittleSeaTree]

Do we know which fire? Theres multiple big ones

Oh, good question, I’ll go back and see if there’s more info

 

[LittleSeaTree]

I see I replied to myself, burying my question, duh. So, question, please: fire investigators start investigating right away even as a fire is still burning, yes? I’m currently text-arguing about this with my sister, haha…

 

[Yesiamapirate]

Pier - Pacific Park® | Amusement Park on the Santa Monica Pier

pacpark.com

Live cam from the Santa Monica Pier. This is just a handful of city blocks from the evacuation area. It looks like the sky is kind of blue. The wind must be going away from the pier. You can see the smoke in the distance when the camera pans out. What kind of shocks me is the amount of people strolling the pier so close to the red mandatory evacuation area. 8 city blocks from the red area in this map. ( you have to zoom in and you can see the pier)

California Fire Map: Active Wildfires

A map of wildfires currently burning in California

www.latimes.com

 

[rsteen]

View attachment 556544
A satellite image shows the Eaton wildfire has set nearly every building in western Altadena in Los Angeles on fire.

The estimate of 1000 structures destroyed by the Eaton fire may be an undercount looking at this photo. Blocks and blocks burning at once. So sad for those who have lost their homes and their belongings.

 

[10ofRods]

As of an hour ago, Eaton Fire is 0% contained.

The Palisades Fire, now at over 17,000 acres is also 0% contained.

No recent updates on the Sunset Fire, but at 5 am, it was 0% contained (60 structures destroyed; Graumann's and Hollywood/Highland area threatened and under evacuation).

Winds have picked back up, as predicted. It was calm until about an hour ago. We're getting gusts of a mere 30 mph where I live. Winds are steady at about 15 mph in Malibu/Pacific Palisades, with gusts of up to 30 (so better than yesterday).

As many as 2000 homes destroyed in the Palisades. Death toll from all the fires is now 5 and expected to climb.

 

[10ofRods]

 

[Boxer]

It has been dry for weekss.
People who have never experienced the hot Santa Ana winds don't understand what this is and why it is happening.
60-100 mph blowing like bellows on any spark, reflection, broken glass magnification, wire arc or human cigarette butt, honestly it could be worse.

 

[airportwoman]

It has been dry for weekss.
People who have never experienced the hot Santa Ana winds don't understand what this is and why it is happening.
60-100 mph blowing like bellows on any spark, reflection, broken glass magnification, wire arc or human cigarette butt, honestly it could be worse.

And fires themselves create their own "weather." They're called firestorms for a reason.

 

[Herat]

Fire investigators start investigating right away, yes? ie: before the fires are even contained?

Absolutely. Just as soon as firefighters have secured enough of a site, investigators get into purported ignition areas, well before media or people are allowed, even as the remains are smoldering. They have to get to valuable information - what was there at the ignition point? were there any traces of accelerants? where there ignitables stored there? etc. They have to get access to sample for all sorts of chemicals or such before more water, or rain, or foot traffic obscures significant details. They know what they are looking for.

During the active firefight, the brave fighters can often spot clues about the most suspect sites and lead investigators to the best sites of inquiry.

 

[Herat]

View attachment 556544
A satellite image shows the Eaton wildfire has set nearly every building in western Altadena in Los Angeles on fire.

This photo is just mind-bending.

Even the tiniest bits of orange mean that something is hot enough to burn on those buildings. I think this must be testimony to the severe hazard of winds sowing burning embers onto rooftops, trees, and such.

This kind of data will be invaluable to study and understand in firefighting and wildfire prevention research.

 

[Herat]

From my layman's view, it seems so much footage shows tall palm trees seeding embers that are only involved in the trimmed areas of influorescence below the tall green crowns.

You easily see it on media video from Palisades and Eaton Fires. Even though the palm is tall and appears healthy, without fire on the green crown, this area appears to hold and propated embers widely due to their height in the wind.

I suspect the tall palm trees, the symbol of southern California life and style, may start to be banned or cut down precisely because of this problem. Although they are beautiful and iconic, I would have no problem removing them all.

And homeowners need to be absolutely scrupulous in clearing trees and brush. The google views of the Runyan Canyon homes and the Studio City home in the Sunset Fire show an extraordinary disregard for proper fire hygiene around some of the homes. Stuff along the streets of not very well-maintaned homes (probably rentals) that is just kindling for fires, and loads of trees, bushes, short decorative palms that are right up against the roof or the walls.

 

[Herat]

DMB, duplicate post

 

[Herat]

Current NASA wind chart looks reassuring for reducing winds in the Palisades Fire area as time progresses, although Eaton Fire region is still getting considerable high winds. High winds also appear prominent in the Palm Springs-Indio-Salton Dea desert regions east and south and into Arizona and northern Sonora Mexico.

earth :: a global map of wind, weather, and ocean conditions

See current wind, weather, ocean, and pollution conditions, as forecast by supercomputers, on an interactive animated map. Updated every three hours.

earth.nullschool.net

 

[dotr]

LA fires in maps: Where are they and how bad is the damage?

Maps and images showing how the fires currently affecting the Los Angeles area are developing.

www.bbc.com

''Five fires continue to grow in the Los Angeles area:

• Palisades fire: The largest active fire is burning between Santa Monica and Malibu. Burnt area: more than 17,000 acres. At least 30,000 people evacuated.
• Eaton fire: Second largest fire burning north of Pasadena. Burnt area: more than 10,000 acres. At least five deaths reported.
• Hurst fire: To the north east of the city. Burnt area: 850 acres.
• Lidia fire: Reported in the hills north of Los Angeles. Burnt area: 350 acres.
• Sunset fire: Reported in the historic Hollywood Hills area near many famous landmarks, including the Hollywood sign. Burnt area: 50 acres.''

'Two fires have been contained:
Woodley fire: Small fire reported in local parkland. Burnt area: 30 acres.
Olivas fire: Small fire first reported in Ventura county about 50 miles (80km) east of Los Angeles. Burnt area: 11 acres'

 

[LittleSeaTree]

Thank you, Herat! I shall forward to my sister, what was she thinking….

 

[LittleSeaTree]

Absolutely. Just as soon as firefighters have secured enough of a site, investigators get into purported ignition areas, well before media or people are allowed, even as the remains are smoldering. They have to get to valuable information - what was there at the ignition point? were there any traces of accelerants? where there ignitables stored there? etc. They have to get access to sample for all sorts of chemicals or such before more water, or rain, or foot traffic obscures significant details. They know what they are looking for.

During the active firefight, the brave fighters can often spot clues about the most suspect sites and lead investigators to the best sites of inquiry.

Also, thoughts are with those brave fighters!

 

[imstilla.grandma]

While that number is just an estimate, it would put the fire among the 20 most destructive in California history, according to Cal Fire.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/west/worst-california-wildfires/

There are at least five fires covering more than 45 square miles affecting the region. The Palisades Fire is the biggest, burning through nearly 27 square miles and destroying more than 1,000 buildings. As of the morning on Thursday, Jan. 9, it was zero percent contained and being called the most destructive fire in Los Angeles’ history.

California wildfires causing $57 billion in damage as providers canceled insurance

The wildfires could cause up to $57 billion in damage as Pacific Palisades homeowners had insurance policies canceled months prior.

san.com