As firefighters struggle to contain and control the wildfires that continue to spread, residents are urged to take every precaution if they live in vulnerable communities.
“Residents are urged to remain vigilant and monitor the latest forecasts,” according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
“Residents living near the foothills and mountains are advised to review the Ready, Set, Go! Fire plan. Most residents should be in the Set stage and [be] prepared to go in the event of the fire evacuation.”
The winds fueled four major brush fires in the LA area, the largest being a roughly 3,000-acre blaze that destroyed much of Pacific Palisades. Thousands of acres also burned in the Eaton Canyon area above Altadena, while the Hurst Fire in Sylmar chewed through hundreds of acres and a new blaze erupted Wednesday morning in the Sepulveda Basin.
Hundreds of structures have been lost in the various fires, with fire crews unable to utilize water-dropping aircraft due to the ferocity of the winds. Ground crews – unable to keep pace with the firestorms – focused their efforts on evacuating residents and protecting lives, in many cases watching helplessly as flames jumped from structure to structure.
NWS forecasters said earlier that the windstorm was likely to be the worst to hit the region since 2011, and Mother Nature showed her strength as she delivered unrelenting winds that brought down power lines and trees across the region.
Increased traffic and airport delays are to be expected to continue across the Southland. Any wildfires that start may spread rapidly with extreme fire behavior if the high winds continue.
The dangerous winds prompted closure of the Los Angeles Zoo to the public on Tuesday, and it remained shuttered on Wednesday. Schools across the region were also closed as the winds created dangerous conditions and fires erupted in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, scorching thousands of acres of terrain.
Due to the closure of the LA Zoo, students in the LA Unified School District’s (LAUSD) Zoo Magnet program were directed Wednesday to report to North Hollywood High School.
Students at the closed LAUSD schools “pivoted to continuity of learning” programs on Wednesday, but district officials said those schools may revert to remote learning on Thursday.
Universal Studios Hollywood and the adjoining Universal CityWalk were also closed for the day Wednesday due to the wind and fire conditions.
Residents Must Heed Warnings
NWS officials warned residents to be prepared for the possibility of downed trees and power poles and hazardous driving conditions, particularly for big rigs and other high-profile vehicles. The winds could also result in air travel delays and turbulence. Forecasters also advised residents to stay away from windows and trees once the winds start, park cars away from trees and to prepare for possible power outages by charging all electronic devices ahead of time and ensuring generators are prepared.
As is standard during high-fire-danger conditions. Southern California Edison customers in some areas could have their power turned off under the utility’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs program. The program is designed to de-energize power lines that could potentially be damaged and spark a wildfire during red flag conditions.
As of early Wednesday morning, more than 35,000 SCE customers in LA County had their power cut due to the program, along with more than 2,000 in Orange County. Another 122,000 customers in LA County were under consideration for power cuts, along with nearly more than 26,000 in Orange County.
Updated information about power cuts is available at