Evacuees describe emotional toll of devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County, California
The Palisades Fire broke out on Tuesday morning, January 7, 2025, and has burnt through nearly 7 000 ha (17 234 acres) in Los Angeles County by Thursday, destroying and damaging over 1 000 structures by some reports. The blaze forced tens of thousands to evacuate, terrifying the residents who were forced to flee with just essentials.
Image credit: Clark County Nevada
The Palisades Fire swept through 6 975 ha (17 234 acres) of land in Los Angeles County, as of Thursday, January 9, with reports indicating over 1 000 structures have been either destroyed or damaged by the blaze. In their most recent report, however, Calfire mentioned that 300 structures have been destroyed.
Winds of up to 97 km/h (60 mph) are expected to continue through Thursday, January 9, with the drying effect of the Santa Ana winds allowing new fuel the feed the blaze.
The blaze was first reported at around 10:30 local time (LT) southeast of Palisades Drive on Tuesday, January 7, growing rapidly through Wednesday, January 8.
The fire is still threatening more than 13 000 structures and has prompted thousands of evacuations in the region.
A family that wished to remain anonymous told The Watchers about their experience, as they were forced to evacuate due to the approaching Palisades Fire.
“I grabbed Mom’s wedding album, my sketchbook, and the dog’s leash. It felt like picking what part of your life to save,” said the oldest daughter of the family. “The house, the things in it, all of it suddenly felt small compared to the fire spreading in the hills,” she added.
Her dad said the hardest part was making sure everyone was calm.
“I knew we didn’t have time for panic, but I could see it in their eyes. Each one of them thinking about something different they were about to lose,” he said.
“The roads were packed with cars, the smoke getting thicker by the minute, and I just kept reminding myself: people are what matter. Not the house, not the stuff. We’ve done everything we can to keep ourselves safe, and that’s all we can control right now.”
“When the evacuation order came through, I checked the map. The fire was only a few miles away, moving fast with the winds,” the family’s second daughter explained. “I could hear the sirens in the distance, and it was clear we didn’t have much time. All I remember thinking is, nothing is gonna feel the same again.”
Their mom said the thing that struck her most was how quiet everyone was as they drove away.
“No one was crying, no one was yelling.
“We were just watching the smoke and the flames in the distance. It’s terrifying to think about starting over right now, but me and my husband need to be strong for the kids.”
The fires raging in Southern California since Tuesday have claimed the lives of at least 5 people and destroyed more than 2 000 homes.
The fatalities occurred in Altadena, where the rapidly spreading Eaton Fire gave residents almost no time to flee.
According to the L.A. County Fire Department, an estimated 1 000 structures have been destroyed in Palisades Fire and another 1 000 in Eaton Fire.
References:
1 Palisades Fire – Calfire – Accessed on January 9, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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