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Major brush fires burning in SoCal amid powerful windstorm

ByJosh Haskell, Rob Hayes, Sid Garcia, Michelle Fisher, Niku Kazori , Jory Rand, and Leanne Suter KABC logo
Last updated: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 5:41PM GMT
ABC7 Eyewitness News
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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A windstorm that forecasters described as potentially destructive and life-threatening is impacting a large swath of Southern California, dramatically raising the risk of wildfires for the next several days.

Firefighters are battling a fire in the foothills of Pacific Palisades, a Los Angeles coastal neighborhood. Another brush fire erupted in the evening in the Eaton Canyon area near Altadena, prompting mandatory evacuations. Then late Tuesday night, the Hurst Fire erupted in the Sylmar area.

Winds are expected to peak in the early hours of Wednesday, when gusts could reach 80 mph, the National Weather Service said. Isolated gusts could top 100 mph in mountains and foothills.

Red flag warnings are in effect and will and remain in place until 6 p.m. Thursday for the Malibu coast, the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, the San Gabriel Valley, the San Fernando Valley, Calabasas, the Santa Clarita Valley, the San Gabriel Mountains, and the 5 Freeway and 14 Freeway corridors.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Jan 07, 2025, 7:43 PM GMT

Biden remarks in SoCal canceled due to weather issues

President Joe Biden's scheduled remarks from the Coachella Valley on the designation of two new monuments were canceled due to weather issues, the White House announced.

"Due to weather issues, the President will not travel to Thermal, CA. The previously scheduled remarks will be delivered in Los Angeles, CA," the White House said in a statement.

Biden traveled to Southern California to announce the establishment of two new national monuments that will honor Native American tribes, including the Chuckwalla National Monument near Joshua Tree National Park.

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Jan 07, 2025, 8:32 PM GMT

Crews quickly extinguish brush fire in West Hollywood

A brush fire erupted in the West Hollywood area but was quickly extinguished.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the fire erupted in the 8400 block of Sunset Boulevard.

Sunset Boulevard between San Vicente and Crescent Heights was closed as crews worked to contain the fire. The roadway has since reopened.

It's unclear what caused the fire. No injuries were reported.

Jan 07, 2025, 7:23 PM GMT

Brush fire breaks out in Pacific Palisades

A 30-acre brush fire erupted Tuesday morning in Pacific Palisades, threatening structures as a powerful windstorm battered the region.

The fire was reported shortly before 10:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive, just north of the Palisades Hills Recreation Center.

No evacuation orders or warnings were immediately issued.

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Jan 07, 2025, 5:34 PM GMT

Windblown dust advisory issued amid possible unhealthy air quality

The South Coast Air Quality Management District on Tuesday issued a windblown dust advisory for a wide swath of Southern California.

Affected cities across several counties included Santa Clarita, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Ana, Ontario, Riverside, Menifee and Indio.

The advisory is scheduled to take effect at 10 a.m. Tuesday and will expire at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

"High PM10 levels in the region are a result of gusty Santa Ana winds, which can lift dust and soil into the air," the AQMD said in a statement, referring to particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less, which is small enough to be inhaled and reach the lungs.

High winds may also disperse ash from the Line, Airport and Bridge wildfire burn scars, the agency said.

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