The number of structures damage or destroyed by the fire that has ravaged Pacific Palisades and Malibu is “in the thousands,” the Los Angeles fire chief said Thursday, Jan. 9.
The blaze remained at just more than 17,200 acres as wind conditions turned more favorable for firefighters.
“It is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley said in a morning press conference.
The chief said winds were expected to “subside somewhat, which will allow crews to increase containment lines.”
Here’s what we know:
- Acres burned: 17,234
- Containment: 0%
- Known structures affected: Estimated “in the thousands”
- Fire Personnel: 2,321
- Cause of fire: Unknown
- When it started: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7
But extreme fire behavior continued to challenge firefighting efforts with winds still peaking around 60 mph, Crowley said.
Some have reported the fire was sparked in a back garden behind a home in the 1100 block of Piedra Morada Drive in Pacific Palisades, but Crowley declined to confirm when asked by a reporter, saying it was still under investigation.
The official acreage total as of Thursday morning was 17,234, Crowley said. More than 2,300 personnel were battling the blaze, according to Cal Fire.
On Wednesday, the best estimate by officials was that 1,000 structures had been destroyed by the Palisades fire. A breakdown of destroyed versus damaged has not become available, as crews assess the destruction.
More than 20 people have been arrested for looting homes in evacuated areas, said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, with more arrests anticipated.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 8, evacuation orders were affecting some 37,000 residents, while about 15,000 homes in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu areas were threatened by the fire, Luna said.
On Thursday, Luna said nearly 180,000 residents were affected by evacuation orders for all wildfires in L.A. County, while another 200,000 were under evacuation warnings.
The Palisades fire started about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, and quickly grew in size thanks to substantial gusts during an uncommon windstorm across Southern California.
Air resources were temporarily grounded Tuesday night because of the winds, but helicopters and airplanes made drops for most of the day Wednesday, which helped in the firefight.
Firefighters battling the Palisades fire also had to deal with low water pressure after water resources were tapped early Wednesday morning. Janisse Quinones of the LA Department of Water and Power said 20 water tanks were sent Wednesday to help firefighters battle the blaze.
Fire officials seemed somewhat optimistic about the changing conditions, though a red flag warning, signaling dangerous fire weather, was still in effect for L.A. County through Friday.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.