LA wildfires expected to worsen as water supply is strained

A residential neighborhood on fire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Philip Cheung/The New York Times)

By Corina Knoll, Soumya Karlamangla and Judson Joner

Out-of-control wildfires in the Los Angeles area raged for a second day, with a diminishing water supply and ferocious winds complicating firefighting efforts. Officials cautioned that the fires that have already reduced more than 1,000 buildings to ash were far from being contained.

The fires have killed at least two people and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Though winds that have reached hurricane levels were expected to drop by mid- to late morning, even weakened winds will remain hazardous into the evening hours, with extreme wildfire weather conditions likely to continue into the afternoon.

“This is going to be devastating, a devastating loss, for all of Los Angeles,” said Traci Park, the Los Angeles City Council member whose district includes Pacific Palisades, the site of the biggest fire.

That blaze, named the Palisades fire, began Tuesday morning in the affluent neighborhood west of downtown Los Angeles, and had exploded to nearly 3,000 acres by night, burning with a volatility that astonished fire officials.

A house burns during the Pacific Palisades fire in Los Angeles, Jan. 7, 2025. Thousands of people fled their homes as multiple blazes engulfed parts of the Los Angeles area and officials warned that wind gusts could spread the flames to more densely populated areas. (Philip Cheung/The New York Times)

Here’s what else to know:

— Other fires: East of Los Angeles, near Pasadena in Eaton Canyon, the Eaton fire started Tuesday evening and was growing rapidly, consuming more than 10,000 acres by Wednesday morning, officials said. That blaze killed two people, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A third blaze, known as the Hurst fire in Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley, started and grew to 500 acres Tuesday night. Officials are also responding to smaller fires, including in Santa Paula, Fontana and the Sun Valley.

— One fire contained: The Woodley fire, a smaller blaze that began in a park about 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, was under control, said Kristin M. Crowley, the Los Angeles Fire Department chief. That fire had grown to 75 acres, according to Cal Fire.

— Evacuations: Sheriff Robert G. Luna of Los Angeles County said approximately 37,000 residents were under evacuation orders for the Palisades fire.

— Early reports of damage: Multiple structures have been damaged, Crowley said. They include some local landmarks along the Pacific Coast Highway and other areas. Luna said Wednesday morning that approximately 15,000 structures were at risk in the Palisades fire alone.

— Power concerns: About 400,000 customers across Southern California were without power early Wednesday, many because of powerful winds or because utility providers had turned off their electricity to prevent more fires.

— Spreading quickly: Scientists have found that fires across the region have become faster-moving in recent decades.