Fire officials are warning residents to be prepared to evacuate as the fast-growing Palisades Fire burns toward structures and other fires break out amid a violent windstorm in Southern California.
The Palisades Fire was first spotted just after 10 a.m. local time in the mountains north of Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood on the west side of the city and has since spread to 200 acres, according to CalFire.
The fire could soon threaten nearby structures on Palisades Drive, causing the Los Angeles Fire Department to warn residents there to “get set for a potential wildfire evacuation.” Evacuation warnings have been issued for four zones near the fire, according to fire officials.
Getting resources to any new fires quickly is paramount to contain the blazes as winds roar over the region.
“If we don’t catch these within the first 20 minutes, it can go hundreds of acres very quickly and can lead to significant evacuations,” Capt. Erik Scott, the LAFD’s public information officer told CNN affiliate KABC Tuesday.
Another wildfire broke out near Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills around the same time on Tuesday morning.
North to northeast winds of 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 30 mph are currently being observed near the base of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Stronger wind gusts are likely occurring in the higher elevations where the fire is burning.
Winds will continue to increase Tuesday into Wednesday across Southern California, including where the Palisades Fire is burning. Wind gusts near the fire could reach 45 mph during the day Tuesday and hit 70 mph at times overnight. Widespread gusts of 30 to 35 mph are likely Wednesday with potentially a few gusts to 65 mph.
Wind gusts elsewhere in Southern California could reach 80 mph over the next 24 hours with some gusts up to 100 mph possible in the mountains.