Much of the Los Angeles area resembled a war zone Wednesday as at least four major fires raged unchecked, leaving five people dead and destroying hundreds of structures, driven by the worst Santa Ana winds to hit the region in more than a decade — winds that were expected to continue into Friday.
“Gusty offshore winds and low humidities will continue through Friday for Ventura and Los Angeles counties,” according to the National Weather Service. “Through Thursday morning, north to northeast wind gusts of 30 to 55 mph will be common across typical the typical Santa Ana wind locations, strongest across the mountains and foothills. Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, winds will increase with gusts of 30 to 40 mph across coasts and valleys, and 50 to 60 mph gusts common across mountains and foothills with isolated gusts up to 70 mph possible across the highest peaks.
“Winds will peak Thursday evening into early Friday morning, however will not be as expansive nor as strong as this previous event. Humidity levels of 10 and 20 percent are expected, potentially lowering into single digits in some areas into Friday.”
Red flag warnings that had been scheduled to expire Thursday night were instead extended through 6 p.m. Friday in the Santa Clarita Valley, Malibu Coast, Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, San Gabriel Valley and the Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) freeway corridors.
A red flag warning in the Antelope Valley, Antelope Valley foothills, Palos Verdes Hills and Catalina Island will expire at 6 p.m. Wednesday
The winds were fueling multiple brush fires in the L.A. area, the largest being a nearly 16,000-acre blaze in Pacific Palisades. Another massive brush fire in the Eaton Canyon area above Altadena claimed five lives, while other blazes raged in Sylmar and Acton.
Hundreds of structures were damaged or destroyed in the blaze, with more than 1,000 structures believed to have been lost in the Palisades Fire alone.
NWS forecasters said the windstorm was the worst to hit the region since 2011.
On Tuesday night, a wind gust of 98 mph was reported in the Saddle Peak area of the Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area, NWS officials said. A 97 mph gust was recorded in the eastern San Gabriel Mountains. Several other mountain areas recorded winds topping 80 mph.
In Orange County, a red flag warning that had been in place for coastal areas was canceled as winds eased. But a red flag warning will be in place until 6 p.m. Friday in the Santa Ana Mountains and Orange County inland areas.
The dangerous winds prompted closure of the Los Angeles Zoo to the public on Tuesday, and it remained shuttered on Wednesday. Schools across the region were also closed as the winds created dangerous conditions and fires erupted in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, scorching thousands of acres of terrain.
All campuses in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were closed Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Unified School District announced that Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary, Canyon Charter Elementary School, Marquez Charter Elementary School, Palisades Charter Elementary School, Paul Revere Charter Middle School, and Topanga Elementary Charter School would all be closed Wednesday due to wind and fire conditions.
Palisades Charter High School, which was not in session, was reported to have been heavily damaged in the Palisades Fire Tuesday.
Due to the closure of the L.A. Zoo, students in the LAUSD’s Zoo Magnet program were directed Wednesday to report to North Hollywood High School.
Students at the closed LAUSD schools will “pivot to continuity of learning” programs on Wednesday, but district officials said those schools may revert to remote learning on Thursday.
In the vicinity of the Eaton Fire burning near Altadena and Pasadena, classes were canceled Wednesday for schools in the Pasadena, Glendale, Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada, Burbank, Arcadia and Monrovia unified school districts.
Glendale and Pasadena schools will all remain closed for the rest of the week.
Universal Studios Hollywood and the adjoining Universal CityWalk were also closed for the day Wednesday due to the wind and fire conditions.
NWS officials warned residents to be prepared for the possibility of downed trees and power poles and hazardous driving conditions, particularly for big rigs and other high-profile vehicles. The winds could also result in air travel delays and turbulence. Forecasters also advised residents to stay away from windows and trees once the winds start, park cars away from trees, and to prepare for possible power outages by charging all electronic devices ahead of time and ensure generators are prepared.
As is standard during high-fire-danger conditions. Southern California Edison customers in some areas could have their power turned off under the utility’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs program. The program is designed to de- energize power lines that could potentially be damaged and spark a wildfire during red flag conditions.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, more than 42,000 SCE customers in Los Angeles County had their power cut due to the program, along with more than 2,000 in Orange county. Another 121,000 customers in L.A. County were under consideration for power cuts, along with nearly more than 26,000 in Orange County.
Updated information about power cuts is available at www.sce.com/outage-center/outage-information/psps.
The city of Los Angeles imposed red flag parking restrictions at 8 a.m. Tuesday, continuing until further notice, likely for the duration of the wind event. The restrictions are designed to keep streets clear for emergency vehicles that may need to quickly access developing wildfires, and to ensure open roadways for residents who may need to evacuate. Pasadena city officials implemented similar parking restrictions.