Major brush fires burning in SoCal amid powerful windstorm

Last updated: Wednesday, January 8, 2025 7:42PM GMT
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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.

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Jan 08, 2025, 6:00 PM

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Jan 07, 2025, 11:45 PM GMT

Officers come to aid of woman, child during intense moment on live TV

During an intense moment on live TV, officers were seen coming to the aid of an evacuated resident and her child.

Megan Garmin said she lives up the hill, and when the smoke got bad, she got in her car to evacuate but was stuck behind abandoned cars. She was seen holding her dog and walking with her daughter when ABC7's Josh Haskell interviewed her.

During an intense moment on live TV, a woman and her daughter were rescued by LAPD officers amid the brush fire burning in the Pacific Palisades.

"I had no where to go, so I just had to get out of my car and start walking. The smoke is so bad. I have no idea where we're going," she told ABC7. "I'm scared for my life. It's terrifying."

Shortly after the live interview, an LAPD vehicle stopped to pick up the woman and child and take them to safety.

Jan 07, 2025, 10:29 PM GMT

Pacific Palisades fire grows to more than 700 acres

A wind-driven brush fire burning in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades has grown to more than 700 acres hours after it ignited Tuesday morning.

The blaze grew to 772 acres by 2:20 p.m., after starting around 11 a.m. along Palisades Drive.

Cal Fire reports the fire is bumping the area of Chastain Parkway East and Calle Brittany. The flames have also spotted across Palisades Drive and is burning on both sides of the road.

Get the latest on the fire here.

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Jan 07, 2025, 9:59 PM GMT

Palisades fire map shows where blaze is burning, evacuations zones

Track the brush fire's movement and evacuation zones here:

MORE | Los Angeles live fire map: Blaze burns through Pacific Palisades

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Jan 07, 2025, 10:18 PM GMT

Resident recounts getting hit with flaming palm fronds as she fled fire

An area resident recounted her terrifying experience as she ran from the fast-moving Pacific Palisades Fire.

She said she was in Hollywood when she heard the news of the fire raging hear her Pacific Palisades home. She was rushing back home to save her cat, but she got snarled in traffic. That's when she ditched her car on Marquez Avenue and ran on foot to her home to rescue her cat.

With her cat in her arms, she described running through the streets as she was struck by flaming palm fronds falling from the trees above.

"I'm getting hit with palm leaves on fire, I ran into a car," she described. "It's terrifying. It's like a horror movie. I'm screaming and crying going down the street."

An area resident recounted her terrifying experience as she ran from the fast-moving Pacific Palisades Fire.

She was concerned about the safety of her father, who works as a security guard at a school in the area. She was relieved to find out he was safe.

"It's terrifying. I was definitely worried for my dad. But what can you do? It's a natural disaster. I'm from New York, I've never done this before. I didn't know what to do," she described.