The Los Angeles County fire produced another night of mayhem as the Palisades blaze threatened Brentwood. Mandeville Canyon was placed under evacuation orders as helicopters did what they could from the air to contain the blaze. This fire has yet to be 10 percent contained. As some observed, the bad news is that the blaze could crest over the hill and burn into the neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. The ‘good news’ is that fires tend to slow burn downhill, giving those in harm’s way more time to leave the area.
BREAKING: LA city councilwoman Traci Park confirms there is established fire in Mandeville Canyon right now. Brentwood threatened, evacs underway. #PalisadesFire
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 11, 2025
Sky5 was overhead of two #FireTornados along the northern flank of the #PalisadesFire. pic.twitter.com/byBTw0Pexm
— KTLA (@KTLA) January 11, 2025
The 101 & 405 in the San Fernando Valley are likely to close. I strongly suggest you leave now if you’re in an evacuation warning zone because it might be an evacuation order zone by morning.
— LA Scanner (@LAScanner) January 11, 2025
According to KTLA, 10 helicopters are now battling the fire that is crossing over into the valley. pic.twitter.com/nWwfUpBVXQ
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 11, 2025
The #PalisadesFire is burning in the hills between Brentwood and Encino. The wind very light and the forward progress of the north flank has almost stopped. The fire has not crossed into the San Fernando Valley, and is nearly stationary west of Mandeville Canyon Rd. pic.twitter.com/Ie8NBtmsxB
— Chris Cristi (@abc7chriscristi) January 11, 2025
To ensure your safety and the security of our community, a curfew is now in effect from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM in all mandatory evacuation areas impacted by the Palisades and Eaton wildfires. We urge you to avoid these areas during these hours for your protection and to allow… pic.twitter.com/76G944JZRF
— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) January 11, 2025
The Palisades Fire, which stretches for over 22,000 Acres and is only 8% Contained, has passed through the Mandeville Canyon and is now heading towards Neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley; with Mandatory Evacuations being issued for Thousands of additional Residents. pic.twitter.com/JbeMOEnpEa
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 11, 2025
It's still a mess, with the emergency alerts going out to the wrong people or posting incorrect information. You already know about the lack of water, the cutting of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s budget, and the top-down mess the California Democratic political brain trust inflicted upon these residents (via NYT):
A part of the Brentwood area of Los Angeles came under mandatory evacuation orders Friday evening as the Palisades fire quickly expanded.
The area threatened by the expansion of the wildfire, the largest in the Los Angeles area, included the Getty Center as well as parts of the Brentwood and Encino neighborhoods.
Wildfires have ripped across more than 35,000 acres of the Los Angeles area this week, killed at least 11 people and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee from their homes.
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said he was ordering an independent review to determine why firefighters ran out of water early on, calling the situation “deeply troubling.” President Biden noted that the death toll might rise and that there were a lot of people who are unaccounted for.
The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu, was 8 percent contained on Friday. To the east, firefighters had contained 3 percent of the Eaton fire, near Altadena and Pasadena. Both fires now rank in the top five most destructive fires in California’s history.
It is not clear what ignited the fires, and investigators will likely take months to come to any firm conclusions. But power lines near the Eaton and Palisades fires were on when those blazes erupted on Tuesday. Energy experts said that was concerning, because electrical equipment has often ignited infernos during periods of high wind in California and elsewhere. And the dry, windy conditions that help the fires spread are poised to persist.
This weekend, the dreaded Santa Ana winds are projected to kick up. We’ll keep you updated.