Wildfires swept through the Los Angeles region on Wednesday with ferocious intensity, triggering chaotic evacuations as residents fled burning homes surrounded by towering smoke, fierce winds, and advancing flames.
Earlier in the day, another fire erupted in Pacific Palisades, a coastal hillside community known for its celebrity homes and immortalized by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit “Surfin’ USA.” As the fire spread rapidly, desperate residents abandoned vehicles and fled on foot, clutching suitcases and other belongings. Traffic gridlock on Palisades Drive hindered emergency response efforts, prompting the use of a bulldozer to clear abandoned cars from the roadway. Video footage along the Pacific Coast Highway captured widespread destruction of homes and businesses.
Sheriece Wallace was caught off guard by the fire until her sister called just as a helicopter dropped water near her home.
“I was like, ‘it’s raining,’” Wallace said. “She’s like, ‘No, it’s not raining. Your neighborhood is on fire. You need to get out.’”
“As soon as I opened my door, it was like right there,” Wallace recounted. “The first thing I did was looked at the trees to see where the wind was blowing. Because it hit me. It blew me back.” She managed to escape safely.
Meanwhile, a separate wildfire broke out Tuesday evening near a nature preserve in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles. The flames spread so rapidly that staff at a senior living facility had to wheel residents—some as old as 102—down the street in beds and wheelchairs. The elderly evacuees, dressed in their nightclothes, waited in a parking lot as embers fell around them until transportation arrived to take them to safety.
Pacific Palisades resident Kelsey Trainor described the panic as ash rained down and fires burned on both sides of the road.
“We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other,” Trainor said. “People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming.”
The fires, fueled by Santa Ana winds reaching up to 80 mph and parched conditions, spread with alarming speed. Winds could intensify further, with gusts expected to exceed 100 mph in higher elevations. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency and announced the deployment of more than 1,400 firefighting personnel to combat the blazes.
In Sylmar, a San Fernando Valley community, another fire prompted evacuations late Tuesday. By early Wednesday, wildfires in Coachella and other areas were also reported. As of Wednesday morning, none of the fires were contained, with thousands of homes under threat and more than 200,000 people without power in Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a rare call for off-duty firefighters to assist, as high winds grounded firefighting aircraft. Officials reported that the fires had already destroyed numerous structures in the Pacific Palisades area, and 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders.
This destructive event follows a troubling trend of increasingly severe and extended wildfire seasons in California, linked to climate change. The lack of significant rainfall and warming temperatures have left the region especially vulnerable to fire outbreaks, even in winter months.
Actor James Woods shared footage of flames near his home, showing fire advancing through landscaped yards and palm trees. Schools in the affected areas were temporarily relocated, and two major film premieres were canceled due to the fires and hazardous weather.
Residents described harrowing escapes as the fires jumped roads and consumed homes in their path. Long-time Palisades resident Will Adams said he evacuated his children from school as embers flew into his wife’s car during her attempt to flee.
“It is crazy, it’s everywhere, in all the nooks and crannies of the Palisades. One home’s safe, the other one’s up in flames,” Adams said. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my 56 years living here.”
As firefighters continue battling the blazes, red flag warnings remain in effect, with officials urging residents to heed evacuation orders and stay vigilant amid rapidly changing conditions.
If you or your loved ones have been displaced or have lost your home due to devastating wildfires, Avian Law Group is here to fight for your rights and help you rebuild your life. Contact us today at (888) 465-0540 for a free consultation and let us guide you through the legal process to secure the compensation you deserve.