At least five people are dead, and more than 1,000 buildings were destroyed as several wildfires burned in Los Angeles County yesterday amid record-strong winds. The coastal Pacific Palisades saw restaurants, a library, schools, and more go up in flames as tens of thousands evacuated, many of whom were forced to leave their cars on the highway. Over 300,000 customers were without power.
The largest of the blazes, the Palisades Fire, has burned over 15,000 acres with zero containment as of this writing (see map). Inland northerly breezes, known as Santa Ana winds, blew over the mountains to the coast at speeds as high as 100 mph, accelerating the flames through dry brush and forest. Farther north and east, the Hurst and Eaton Fires grew to over 2,500 and 500 acres, respectively, while two more blazes were sparked late Wednesday.
LA officials sought help from nearby counties and states amid the fires' rapid pace and intensity, with reports of million-gallon fire hydrant wells running dry repeatedly. See photos of the fires here.
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