By Ava Uhlack, Jan 21, 2025
Residents of Los Angeles County remain on high alert as today marks the second week of both the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Both fires started Jan. 7. The Eaton Fire in North Los Angeles covering 14,021 acres around Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive between Altadena and Pasadena, according to Cal Fire’s official website. The Eaton Fire is currently 87% contained.
The Palisades Fire currently stands at 23,713 acres southeast of Palisades Drive in the Pacific Palisades, according to Cal Fire, and is 61% contained.
The fires are classified as wildfires with their causes still under investigation, according to David Acuña, a Cal Fire battalion chief.
The Palisades Fire has claimed 6,207 structures and damaged another 807 structures according to the Palisades Fire update site, and has resulted in four injuries and 11 fatalities to date.
Due to both the size and intensity of each fire, there are evacuation orders in place for each area around the fires.
The Eaton Fire has ten active evacuation areas with four areas under warning, according to Cal Fire, and the Palisades Fire has 22 active evacuation areas.
A list of all road closures for the respective fires can also be found on the individual fire update sites.
The Eaton Fire has claimed 9,418 structures and damaged another 1,069, according to the Eaton fire update site, and has caused eight injuries and 17 fatalities to date.
The fires each have multiple fire agencies working together to battle the flames, according to Acuña, with even other states stepping in, including but not limited to Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.
However, the wind conditions are making the containment efforts more difficult as the winds are pushing the fire more swiftly, according to Acuña.
The winds in question, known as the Santa Ana winds, are caused by the change in pressure between an area of high air pressure to low air pressure, according to James Brotherton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. They are also classified as offshore or down-sloping winds.
“It draws the air from the inland desert areas to the coast for example, and as the wind blows in that direction and goes up and over the mountain areas, gravity forces the wind to increase in speed as they come toward the coast, which is why they get so strong,” said Brotherton.
According to Brotherton, along with the winds, the recent lack of proper rainfall only adds to the destruction level of the fires.
“Because it’s so dry, the brushes, trees and branches are a lot easier to burn, and the vegetation on the ground is what we call fuel,” said Brotherton. “With the air being so dry as well, it’s what we classify as ‘explosive fire potential’ and can be extremely difficult for humans to control if not impossible to control the fire.”
While the Palisades and Eaton fires are the largest concern as of right now, there is one in the Southern California area under watch.
Areas as far east as Cajon Pass were affected by the winds, experiencing power outages and school closures, according to residents.
“Since I moved to the Inland Empire, we would lose power for weeks at a time, so I had to invest in a generator in order to power the house and keep our food fresh,” said Joel Ybarra, a resident of San Bernardino. “Who wants to go live in a neighborhood when they have these constant power failures? Insurance companies no longer offer us insurance because of the fact that we live in a fire-prone area and have to turn off the power to avoid possible fires.”
On top of residential struggles, schools faced closures due to high-wind advisories and safety concerns from local authorities Jan. 8.
According to an email sent out by the Alta Loma School District, all schools were closed due to the high winds and safety concerns of both staff and students, and Etiwanda School District also closed its schools Jan. 8 over the same safety concerns, according to its Facebook page.
Chaffey Joint Union High School District closed a handful of schools as well, including the high schools in the northern part of the district, according to the district’s website.
According to an article by CalMatters, many colleges and universities faced a change to remote learning, including UCLA, Pepperdine University, Pasadena College and Occidental College.
Cal Poly Pomona sent out a campus-wide email announcing a change for campus operations to be of a modified nature Jan. 13 & 14 with non-essential employees encouraged to telecommute, according to the University News email. There was no immediate danger however the university wanted to express caution.
According to Acuña, in the midst of the rapidly changing environments, citizens are encouraged to use websites like fire.CA.gov and readyforwildfire.org for live updates on current fires in the area as well as to find tips and information for how to be better prepared for wildfires. Some sites include up-to-date evacuation orders and warnings. There are also more details and locations for shelters for both humans and animals seeking refuge.
In regard to fire prevention, Acuña stated it’s important for impacted citizens to have a partnership with first responders to do their part and help prevent possible outbreaks.
“Keep an eye out for when the red flag warnings go away; that’s when you can engage in prevention,” said Acuña. “Right now, the red flag warnings stretch from Santa Barbara all the way to San Diego, and that whole area has not received appreciable rainfall. Be cautious. This is not the time to be doing hazard reduction. One spark can turn into worse when it comes up against 60-to-100-mile-per-hour winds like we saw on Tuesday.”
For weather updates and high-fire and high-wind warnings, residents are encouraged to refer to the weather.gov site.
In light of the rapidly changing events, students at CPP have resources such as the Care Center, and staff and faculty are welcome to use the Employee Assistance Program by Empathia or use the Benefits Services for fire relief.
Live updates will also be accessible on The Poly Post via the “Fire Watch” tab underneath the “News” section tab on the home page. Or, click here to visit the page directly.
Feature image courtesy of Darren Loo
