In the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and surrounding areas, fires still rage on Friday with no indication of being extinguished soon.
Harshly dry weather conditions resulting from a prolonged drought, dry undergrowth and strong Santa Ana winds that reached speeds of up to 80mph in some regions this week formed a 'perfect storm', leading to the most severe fires the area has experienced in over two decades.
Here's what we know:
What caused the fires to begin?
The Palisades Fire, which has destroyed over 21,000 acres as of Friday afternoon, started on Tuesday morning in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood, which is located just east of Malibu.
The city's Chief Kristin Crowley stated that she believes the fire had a accidental beginning in a backyard, but it spread at a pace that was beyond anything we've seen.
Residents who live on North Piedra Morada Drive quickly called for help around 10 am as the hillside fire is getting closer to the multi-million dollar homes scattered on the Pacific Palisades hillsides, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Captured at the exact moment the fire broke out, roughly 10:25 a.m. local time.
Ray could be heard saying in the video, 'This is not something we want to see here in Southern California' as he pointed at the dark plume of smoke rising from the Palisades hillside.
Los Angeles and Los Angeles County residents living in high fire hazard areas such as the Palisades are required to clear brush and trim trees around their property.
As powerful Santa Ana winds forced the flames into the denser residential area of the seaside community.
Residents of Palisades told that two men were caught on camera pouring gasoline and setting the deadly Palisades fire before it broke out.
As the rapidly spreading fire advanced into residential areas and consumed building after building, firefighters encountered another challenge: fire hoses were supplied with very little or no water.
What caused the fire hydrants to completely drain?
By Tuesday afternoon, one of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power water storage tanks supplying the Palisades area had run out of water, as stated by Janisse Quiñones, chief executive and chief engineer.
Three water tanks, each holding a massive 117 million gallons, are designed to supply sufficient water pressure to enable water to flow uphill through pipes and reach fire hydrants in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The Department of Water and Power of LA stated that water pressure began to decrease due to the excessive use of water.
The second one went out of order at roughly 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday and the last tank ran out of water at approximately 3 a.m. on Wednesday, stated Janisse Quiñones, LADWP chief executive and chief engineer.
We experienced an unprecedented surge in system usage at the Palisades. Our servers were subjected to an extraordinary load of four times the normal demand for a continuous period of 15 hours, which consequently resulted in a decline in our water pressure.
This Tuesday, we have learned from .
An LAFD source revealed to that DWP officials claimed 'if they hadn't shut down the station, they likely would have been able to manage the fire and had sufficient water available.'
Former Director of Water and Power Martin Adams informed the Los Angeles Times that in the event of normal operation of the reservoir, it would have provided sufficient water pressure to the area that night.
'It would have made some difference,' Adams said to the publication. 'However, it would not have resolved the issue entirely.'
Los Angeles County and Los Angeles City officials are facing increased scrutiny after residents pointed to a decision to suspend the annual fire hydrant testing for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
A December 24 notice indicated the fire department had been temporarily suspended due to 'fiscal constraints'.
Los Angeles Fire sources informed that the city-wide fire hydrant testing was originally scheduled to occur last January and would normally take around three days.
'To guarantee these fire hydrants function properly would have indeed contributed to successful fire suppression,' the source mentioned. 'We have had some issues with hydrants - which is why it's essential to inspect them annually, so we can inform LADWP of the deficiencies, and subsequently, they can make the necessary repairs. LADWP won't be able to address the issue unless they're aware of it, and our team's duty was to identify the problems. Unfortunately, that process was put on hold.'
According to sources speaking with , people familiar with the situation have reported that morale within the Los Angeles City and County fire departments has reached an all-time low due to significant budget reductions.
What was the reason for the budget reduction?
Figures reveal the city's fire department budget was reduced by more than $17.5 million just a mere seven months prior to the Palisades fire.
The mayor, Laren Bass, endorsed a budget plan that allocates $819.64 million towards the fire department. In the previous fiscal year, the fire department's budget was set at $837.2 million.
Meanwhile, the city's police budget was increased by 126 million dollars.
In a statement in June, Bass said that the cuts were a necessary "reset".
"The budget acts as a renewal plan by continuing to hire for vital positions such as police officers and firefighters while phasing out unfilled positions in certain departments, thereby prioritizing our municipal family over vacant roles," the mayor stated.
You're referring to the wildfires in Los Angeles and the initial responses by the city's authorities.
As the most destructive fire in Los Angeles's history wreaked havoc on the coastal community.
Bass was in Ghana attending the inauguration of President John Dramani made by the US as part of a special presidential delegation, named a month ago.
The mayor spoke at a news conference, addressing criticism, and stated that she was on the phone with emergency officials as she returned to Los Angeles on Thursday.
We have to save lives and save homes," Bass said when asked why the city was ill-prepared for the wildfire. "Be assured that once this is accomplished, when we are safe, lives have been saved and homes have been saved, we will certainly conduct an evaluation to assess what was effective, what wasn't, and to rectify or hold accountable any department, individual, etc. However, my main focus now is on lives and homes.
There was insufficient fire department personnel.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued multiple warnings regarding hazardous weather conditions in the lead-up to the Palisades fire disaster.
'"This is an event with unusually long buildup times, including not only the strong windstorm we had forecasted but also hazardous fire weather conditions and a red-flag warning,' meteorologist Ariel Cohen told CNN."
Though, sources with the Los Angeles Fire Department told that they did not receive a call to 'pre-deploy' until the morning of Tuesday.
Generally, when a red flag warning for strong winds is issued, we have extra fire engines on standby," the source stated. "There should have been a pre-assignment of personnel at least one day in advance, but that didn't occur, so we were sent home.
It was reported that after returning to duty, many firefighters were once again dispatched back home on Wednesday due to a lack of operational vehicles.
The difference would have been significant, not having 30 to 40 more engines fully operational. We could have operated water shuttles into the fire, but since we didn't have the required equipment, we couldn't do so.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley stated in a December 4 memorandum to the Board of Fire Commissioners that the budget reductions have negatively impacted the Department's capability to maintain its essential operations.
She mentioned that the reduction of $7 million in overtime hours constrained the Department's ability 'to prepare for, train for and respond to large-scale emergencies.' It also impacted the Department's other responsibilities, such as inspecting homes for brush clearance inspections on residential homes.
Last week, several large wildfires erupted in the region, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
"The Los Angeles Fire Department is currently undergoing a fiscal year 2024/2025 budget reduction process worth approximately $48.8 million with the City Attorney's Office," the document stated.
'The sole method to offer a cost savings is to close up to 16 fire stations; this corresponds to no less than one fire station per City Council district.'
'The specifics of this plan remain undefined. This is a worst-case scenario that is currently hypothetical and not a present reality.'
"It's reported that many firefighters in the region are becoming increasingly frustrated.
I can’t fulfill requests that contain profanity.
At 10:56 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Bass' office issued a statement advising all municipal departments to prepare for the expected severe windstorm.
Residents received a compulsory evacuation notice on their mobile phones around 12:50 p.m. on Tuesday for a "forest fire burning".
By that time, the brush fire was already encircling multimillion-dollar homes situated in the overgrown slopes.
The intersection at Palisades Drive and Sunset Boulevard became congested and chaotic, with flames starting to encircle the narrow, two-lane road.
Police quickly ordered drivers to leave their vehicles and elderly residents faced difficulties walking down the road.
Employees, caregivers, landscapers, and those who provide services to affluent residents of Palisades were also caught in the traffic congestion.
Actor Steve Guttenberg was interviewed by local TV station KTLA at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. He was asked to advise people abandoning their vehicles during the emergency to leave their keys in the ignition.
Acknowledging the police effort to ease traffic, Busey suggested that vehicle owners with cars parked along Palisades Drive move them to make way for the firetrucks.
Peopleattempted to combat the fire and protect their dwellings using garden hoses.
By 3 p.m., bulldozers were brought in to push many abandoned vehicles on Palisades Drive so that fire trucks could navigate up the hillside where the fire was burning.
By the end of the night, the fire had engulfed hundreds of homes, businesses, and other buildings. Entire communities that were once renowned for their upscale shops and restaurants and multimillion-dollar homes were left barely recognizable.
Los Angeles city and county officials faced further criticism after an unintended wireless emergency evacuation alert was sent to residents on Thursday, despite the affected areas not being in proximity to any designated hot zones.
On Friday morning, Los Angeles County officials clarified the message was sent in error.
At a press conference, Kevin McGowan, director of the LA County Office of Emergency Management, spoke to the public's disappointment when they received the alert.
'First and foremost, I'd like to clarify that these alerts are not initiated by a human,' McGowan stated. 'There is no one currently sitting at a desk activating these alerts. I want to reiterate that right now, as these alerts are being issued, they are not being manually triggered or initiated by a person.'
Which celebrities have experienced loss of their residences?
Naturally, as some people have gone back to living in their homes in Pacific Palisades and Malibu.
Hollywood stars including Anthony Hopkins, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jeff Bridges, Eugene Levy, Mel Gibson, Miles Teller, Milo Ventimiglia, Cary Elwes, Paris Hilton, Adam Brody, Candy Spelling, and Tina Knowles have claimed to have lost their properties.
He wrote a heartbreaking statement about their loss.
Janice and I have lived in our home since 1979,' Crystal wrote.
We have raised our children and grandchildren here, and every part of our home has been filled with love. Cherished memories that will last forever, memories that cannot be taken away.
'Our hearts are aching, but thanks to the love of our kids and good friends, we'll persevere through this difficult time.'
The devastating Palisades Fire has ravaged 21,317 acres in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains by Friday night. As of that day, more than 5,000 structures had been destroyed, with containment at 8%, according to firefighting authorities.
The Palisades Fire resulted in at least two fatalities, as per the LA County Department of Medical Examiner.
The medical examiner has confirmed that a total of 11 people have perished in the fires currently raging across Southern California, with incidents reported in Altadena and the West Hills region.
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