Wildfires fueled by extreme winds have swept across the Pacific Palisades area in Los Angeles County, devouring structures and forcing the evacuation of more than 30,000 people.
As of 9:30 p.m. ET, more than 2,900 acres have burned, fire officials said.
Steep terrain and the strong Santa Ana winds, with gusts up to 60 mph, are challenging firefighting efforts. The winds are expected to linger over the next few days posing serious fire risks in southern California.
The mandatory evacuation order includes more than 10,000 homes and thousands of businesses. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone gave a bleak outlook Tuesday afternoon during a news conference.
"We are not out of danger," he said, warning that the most significant threat will be between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. PT when the Santa Ana winds will be at their fiercest.
Marrone urged people to have a wildfire "action plan" and be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice overnight.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents the area, described the scope and scale of the devastation as "terrifying."
She urged people to "be packed and ready to go" if people are told to evacuate. Already, tens of thousands of people have been ordered to leave their homes and businesses as the flames roar into neighborhoods.
Park says "it may take a couple of days" to get the situation under control and "it may be some time before people can return to their homes."
As of 9:30 p.m. EST Tuesday, about 25,000 homes and businesses had their power cut off as crews battle the Palisades Fire.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency as the fire continued to burn through Los Angeles County and more residents have been ordered to evacuate in the fire zones north and west of Los Angeles.
Newsom toured some of the neighborhoods consumed by flames. He applauded the efforts of crews to pre-position firefighters, aircraft and other equipment ahead of the predicted firestorm.
While this news conference focused on the situation in Los Angeles County, forecasters warned of a potential worsening problem in Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, just to the south and east.
The National Weather Service has declared a rare "particularly dangerous situation" from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow. This for people living in Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana, Corona, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Riverside. Winds are predicted to be in excess of 80 mph in some areas and forecasters say "any fires that develop will spread VERY rapidly!!"
Meanwhile, a developing storm is expected to bring more wintry weather across the country, threatening the normally warm areas of New Mexico, Texas and other areas in the South with snow and freezing rain starting Wednesday.
Residents living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area could see 3 to 6 inches of snow by Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. For that metro, which received just 1.5 inches of snow from 2023-2024, it's being considered a major storm. Further south, the NWS said, light snow, ice and sleet is possible, likely creating dangerous road conditions and impacting travel and schools.
This all comes after a deadly winter storm brought snow and ice from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic and freezing temps lingered in the South over the weekend. As of Monday, at least four people died and dozens were injured as the storm moved across several states, including Kansas, Illinois, Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area, stranding cars and knocking out power.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to activate state emergency response resources ahead of the storm.
"With below-freezing temperatures beginning to impact large portions of the state, Texas is increasing the readiness level of the State Operations Center to ensure resources are swiftly deployed to communities," Abbott said in a statement Tuesday.
He urged residents to "remain weather-aware, regularly monitor road conditions before traveling, and heed guidance from state and local officials."
Dallas and Fort Worth have activated temporary winter shelters for homeless residents, city officials said Tuesday.
The system forecast to hit Texas may bring several inches of snow to southeastern Oklahoma and western and central Arkansas Thursday into Friday, the NWS said. These forecasts are still early and the NWS cautions that the extent of the storm and possible snowfall could still change.
Strong Santa Ana winds threaten Southern California
As the South prepped for snow and more cold, some residents in Southern California fled their homes as the NWS said "life-threatening" Santa Ana winds slammed the area and fueled wildfires.
By Tuesday afternoon, winds reached 20-50 mph, but hurricane-force gusts are predicted later to reach 100 mph or more. Strong winds combined with low humidity and dry fuels (of which California has plenty after months of abnormally dry weather) contribute to dangerous conditions and increase risks for wildfires.
Officials in Los Angeles warned that residents living along the path of the Palisades Fire should prepare to evacuate as the fire moved quickly through hills surrounding the area due to the strong winds. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place for people living near Topanga Beach in Los Angeles County.
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