Pacific Palisades Fire: Most Destructive Wildfire in LA History
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AI summaryDisplay highlights
- Pacific Palisades Fire is the most destructive wildfire in LA County's history
- At least 1,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed
- The fire has been fueled by California's seasonal Santa Ana winds
- The Woolsey Fire in 2018 was previously the most destructive fire in LA County history
- The Pacific Palisades Fire is one of just two fires in LA County history to destroy 1,000 or more buildings
360 summary
- Two victims, a father and son, were unable to evacuate and died in the fire
- One victim, a man who refused to evacuate, was found dead with a garden hose in his hand
- Over 180,000 people were under evacuation orders and all schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District were closed due to heavy smoke and ash
bostonglobe.com- Three separate wildfires have broken out in the Los Angeles area, including the Hurst Fire, the Lidia Fire, and the Sunset Fire.
- The Hurst Fire has already covered 671 acres and is only 10% contained, while the Lidia Fire has burned 348 acres and is 60% contained.
- The Sunset Fire, which burned near Hollywood landmarks, has been fully contained and evacuation orders in the area have been lifted.
Forbes- The appearance of weather conditions suggestive of La Niña, a climate phenomenon linked to drier conditions and drought in southern parts of the U.S., likely played a large part in priming southern California for extreme fire conditions this week.
- The dry conditions paired with historically strong winds gave way to this week’s fires. Wind gusts of up to 99 mph were reported near Altadena and other nearby areas early Wednesday.
- The Santa Ana winds or “devil winds,” which are often fast-moving, dry and warm winds that originate inland, around Nevada and Utah, and blow toward the coastal regions of Southern California, contributed to the rapid spread of the fires.
Forbes- Paris Hilton lost her Malibu home to the fire
- Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their Pacific Palisades home to the fire
- Jamie Lee Curtis likely lost her home to the fire and called for people to offer assistance to those affected
Forbes- Several TV shows, including "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and "NCIS," paused production due to the fires
- The Screen Actors Guild canceled its in-person awards nomination ceremony as a precaution
- Several sports events, including a Lakers game and an NHL game, were postponed and have yet to be rescheduled
Forbes
Fortune- Los Angeles International Airport has not experienced significant flight cancellations, but some flights were disrupted at the smaller Hollywood Burbank Airport.
- The National Weather Service issued an extreme fire weather alert for a 2,356-square mile stretch of land that includes areas such as Glendale, Oxnard, Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks, and Pasadena.
- The alert is the highest designation for fire potential and was in effect from Wednesday to Thursday.
Forbes- The Wright Fire in 1970 burned more than 30,000 acres and destroyed 403 structures, making it the third-deadliest wildfire in LA County history.
- The Topanga Fire, also known as the Trippet Ranch fire, is the current fifth-most destructive fire in LA County history, allegedly started by a caretaker who discarded a pile of ash near brush containing hot coal embers.
- The Pacific Palisades Fire in 2019 has become the most destructive wildfire in LA County history, destroying at least 1,000 homes and businesses and prompting the city to revamp its fire laws and safety codes.
New York Post- Mandy Moore's children's school in Altadena was destroyed by the fire
- Moore and her family were evacuated from their home and are grateful for friends who took them in
- Moore shared her experience on Instagram, thanking those who helped her family
New York Post- The Pacific Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire are the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County history, destroying over 10,000 structures collectively.
- The Palisades Fire, which swept through the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, destroyed at least 5,300 homes and forced more than 100,000 residents to evacuate.
- The Eaton Fire engulfed large parts of the Altadena area, destroying more than 5,000 structures.
ALJAZEERA- The Sunset Fire burned near several Hollywood landmarks, including the popular urban hiking trail Runyon Canyon, Hollywood Boulevard, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- The JPMorgan analysts estimated that the total damages from the wildfires could reach $50 billion, with $20 billion in insured losses, making them the costliest in U.S. history.
- Moody's Ratings expects insured losses to run in the billions of dollars, particularly for commercial properties, given the high value of homes and businesses in the impacted areas.
Forbes- The August Complex Fire in 2020 was the largest wildfire in California's history, burning more than 1 million acres and lasting for 87 days. It was caused by a series of lightning strikes in the Mendocino National Forest.
- The Camp Fire in 2018 was the deadliest wildfire in California's history, killing 85 people and destroying almost 19,000 buildings. It was caused by a faulty power line that failed during strong winds.
- The Pacific Palisades Fire in Los Angeles in 2021 became the most destructive wildfire in LA County's history, destroying at least 1,000 homes and businesses and engulfing nearly 12,000 acres. It was fueled by California's seasonal Santa Ana winds.
CBS NEWS- The Dixie Fire in July 2021 burned parts of Butte, Lassen, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties and lasted 104 days, becoming the second-largest wildfire in California's history.
- The Mendocino Complex Fire in July 2018 burned a total of 459,123 acres in Mendocino, Lake, Colusa and Glenn counties and lasted 161 days before it was completely contained, becoming the largest wildfire in California's history at the time.
- Both the Dixie Fire and the Mendocino Complex Fire were caused by human activities, with the Dixie Fire starting after a tree fell and hit an energized power line owned by Pacific Gas and Electric, and the source of the River Fire in the Mendocino Complex Fire not being determined.
CBS NEWS- Over 5,300 structures were damaged or destroyed in Pacific Palisades, surpassing the Sayre Fire of 2008 which destroyed 604 structures in Sylmar.
- The fire burned over 30 square miles (77 square kilometers) of the coastal neighborhood, including iconic landmarks such as part of Palisades Charter High School and the home of actor Billy Crystal and his wife Janice.
- The Eaton Fire north of Pasadena burned over 5,000 structures and damaged five school campuses in Altadena, scorching more than 21 square miles (54 square kilometers).
Fortune- Evacuation orders were issued for the Kenneth Fire, which broke out near West Hills and has already burned over 1 square mile of land.
- The Hurst Fire, which started earlier this week, has also prompted evacuations in Sylmar.
- The Sunset Fire broke out near the Hollywood Bowl and other iconic landmarks, but firefighters were able to manage the flames and lift evacuation orders.
Fortune- Palisades High School, featured in popular movies, was destroyed by the fire
- Ben Affleck's $20.5 million home was among the celebrity homes destroyed
- Actors Adam Brody and Leighton Meester's $6.5 million home was also destroyed beyond repair
New York Post- Residents were forced to flee their homes, leaving behind everything they owned, as the fire destroyed at least 1,000 homes and businesses in the Pacific Palisades area.
- The fire was fueled by the seasonal Santa Ana winds, which made it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze, leaving many homes and businesses to burn uncontrollably.
- Despite the heroic efforts of many residents and firefighters, the fire continued to rage on, leaving many neighborhoods looking like war zones and causing widespread destruction throughout the area.
New York Post- The Pacific Palisades Fire has become the most destructive wildfire in LA County's history, destroying at least 1,000 homes and businesses and engulfing nearly 12,000 acres.
- Residents who evacuated found themselves trapped in gridlock for hours as roads were choked with people fleeing.
- Smoke from wildfires is a complicated mix of pollutants that can cause health problems for people who breathe it in, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
usatoday.com
- The Pacific Palisades Fire has caused billions of dollars in losses, with private forecaster AccuWeather estimating the damage and economic loss at $135 billion to $150 billion US.
- JPMorgan analysts estimate there could be $50 billion in total damages, including $20 billion in insured losses, making the fires the costliest in U.S. history.
- California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has called on insurers to suspend pending non-renewals and cancellations that homeowners received before the fires began and to extend the grace period for payments.
cbc.ca
Forbes- Celebrities such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jared Isaacman have made monetary donations to relief efforts and support funds for those impacted by the fire.
- The NFL has also donated $5 million to relief efforts.
- Schools in the Pacific Palisades that sustained heavy damage will reopen later in the week in other locations, while school districts covering Pasadena and La Cañada will be closed on Monday.
Forbes- The Hurst Fire, which broke out near Sylmar, has been contained with 95% of the blaze under control
- The Pacific Palisades Fire has become the most destructive wildfire in LA County's history, destroying at least 1,000 homes and businesses and engulfing nearly 12,000 acres
- The Santa Ana winds continue to hit the region, with a red flag warning issued until Wednesday for much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, bringing "critical fire weather conditions" for several days
Forbes
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