Devastating wildfires tore across the Los Angeles, California, area on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of people evacuated.
A blaze that started Tuesday morning ripped through the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The hillside area dotted with celebrity residences is along the coast. In the frantic haste to get to safety, scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.
The traffic jam on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from passing. Workers used a bulldozer to push abandoned cars to the side. Video showed widespread destruction of homes and businesses along the Pacific Coast Highway.
The Eaton fire broke out Tuesday evening in the inland foothills northeast of Los Angeles. The flames spread so rapidly that staff at a senior living center had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot. The residents waited in their bedclothes until ambulances, buses, and even construction vans arrived to take them to safety.
A third wildfire, the Hurst fire, started around 10:30 p.m. It quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar. That San Fernando Valley community is the northernmost neighborhood in Los Angeles. A fourth, the Tyler fire, was reported early Wednesday in Coachella, Riverside County. Officials are investigating the causes of the fires.
Recent dry winds have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California. The area has gotten very little rain so far this winter.
Santa Ana winds topping 60 miles per hour in some places Tuesday spread flames quickly. Winds increased to 80 miles per hour by early Wednesday.
The situation prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to ask off-duty firefighters to help. It was too windy for most firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight.
Governor Gavin Newsom posted on social media early Wednesday that California had deployed more than 1,400 firefighting personnel.
Officials said about 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders. More than 13,000 structures were under threat.
By early Wednesday, the Eaton Fire had quickly burned 3.5 square miles, according to fire officials. The Hurst Fire jumped to 500 acres and the Palisades Fire had burned 4.5 square miles. The Tyler Fire was relatively small, burning 15 acres. All fires were at 0% containment.
Pray for strength, wisdom, and protection for firefighters and officials. Ask God to comfort those forced to flee their homes.
