California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and Ventura counties due to a wildfire that has engulfed the suburban community of Pacific Palisades.
About 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
Newsom also announced that California has secured a grant for fire management assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure the availability of vital resources to combat the fire in Pacific Palisades, according to the governor’s official website.
Cars are scattered for miles along Sunset Boulevard after their owners were forced to walk out of the coastal community located between Malibu and Santa Monica due to heavy traffic. Many people panicked and left their cars on the side of the road, which had to be removed by bulldozers to make way for emergency crews, and the coastal road, which is used to evacuate people, is clogged.
This time of year, the area is experiencing Santa Ana winds that forecasters say could become the worst storm in a decade. A “life-threatening” wind warning is in effect.
The Palisades fire, which has burned more than 2,900 acres, has not yet caused any injuries.
By Tuesday evening, a second fire had broken out miles away from the Palisades fire in Altadena, California, prompting emergency evacuations after it spread to 550 acres in 30 minutes.
Photo: illustration
