Firefighters are battling a fast-moving brush fire in the Pacific Palisades on Monday afternoon, with the 30 acre blaze burning perilously close to a number of multi-million dollar homes in the area.
Officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to an emergency call at 10:40am to a brush fire around 500 North Palisades drive, which quickly burned an acre.
An hour into the firefight, the blaze has now grown in excess of 30 acres and is now threatening homes long Vista Grande Drive and Charmel Lane, some of which are valued in excess of $4,000,000.
Before noon, fire crews had largely beat back a significant portion of the flames that were threatening homes.
No structures have yet been damaged, an FDNY spokesperson said, and nobody has been reported injured so far.
Officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to an emergency call at 10:40am to a brush fire around 500 North Palisades drive, which quickly burned an acre
An hour into the firefight, the blaze has now grown in excess of 30 acres and is now threatening homes long Vista Grande Drive and Charmel Lane, some of which are valued in excess of $4,000,000
However, there are reports of one person, who appeared to be a firefighter, being seen carried on a stretcher to an ambulance. The person’s injury or condition is not yet known.
An evacuation of the area was ordered by the LAFD at 12:30pm local time, affecting at least 200 homes.
‘There is a Mandatory Evacuation Order for all residents within the area bordered by Charmel Lane on the West, Bienveneda Avenue on the East, the end of Lachman Lane on the North, and Merivale Lane on the South,’ the warning reads.
‘All persons in this area are directed to leave NOW in a calm and orderly manner. This is due to both potential fire and smoke behavior as well as the pending arrival of large fixed-wind retardant dropping aircraft.’
Some residents were seen fleeing from the flames in their cars long before the warning was issued. Others were seen standing on their decks attempting to tackle the advancing flames with garden hoses.
The blaze appeared to be spreading at an alarming rate as around 300 personnel from LAFD and the L.A. County Fire Department tackled it.
Before noon, fire crews had largely beat back a significant portion of the flames that were threatening homes.
Several Fire Department helicopters were fighting the blaze from the air with water drops.
The blaze appeared to be spreading at an alarming rate as around 300 firefighters tackled it from the air and on the ground.
A large plume of thick smoke towered above the fire and was visible from miles away
‘We’re hitting it hard and fast,’ Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.
A large plume of thick smoke towered above the fire and was visible from miles away.
Sofia Richie uploaded a picture of the smoke column to her Instagram story, captioned ‘Oh no’, showing the grey smog peering over a hillside.
Actress and singer Cassie Ventura also snapped a picture of the smoke blanketing the sky above the Palisades shoreline.
Burning on steep hillside terrain, fire officials voiced relief that winds were not more significant on Monday, which could have otherwise accelerated the flames.
In addition to lack of winds, firefighters were also aided by residents being compliant with brush clearance regulations in place in the area, Humphrey added.
Sofia Richie uploaded a picture of the smoke column to her Instagram story, captioned ‘Oh no’, showing the grey smog peering over a hillside (left). Actress and singer Cassie Ventura also snapped a picture of the smoke blanketing the sky above the Palisades shoreline (right)
‘This neighborhood … embraces our brush clearance policy,’ he told KTLA. ‘Back in May we inspected this neighborhood and found excellent compliance.’
In Pacific Palisades, the requirement calls for at least 200 feet of brush clearance from the property, the strictest in the state.
Helicopter images captured by KTLA showed one family running away from the fire as the blaze engulfed a tree in their backyard.
The Pacific Palisades is a coastal neighborhood in Los Angeles that is home to a number of A-list celebrities, from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to Kobe Bryant and Conan O’Brien.
The cause of the blaze is not immediately known.