LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – Officials confirmed two people were killed and over 5,316 structures have been damaged or destroyed as fire crews struggle to gain containment on the over 19,000-acre Palisades Fire: the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
The Palisades Fire, which erupted on Tuesday morning, quickly swept through residential and commercial districts in this affluent coastal community, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee. Many of the structures lost are businesses and homes.
By Thursday night, the fire had grown to 19,900 acres with 6% containment. The cause remained under investigation. An arson suspect was arrested in Woodland Hills, however, police have not confirmed whether the man is connected to the fires.
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The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen from the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
Beachfront properties are burned to the ground by the Palisades Fire on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
Firefighters battle the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) -
Sky5 view of the Palisades Fire on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (KTLA) -
A resident hoses down hot spots in a fire-ravaged property after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia) -
Fallon Prockiw-Kline, center, gets emotional in front of her home which was damaged by the Palisades Fire, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent) -
A man walks his bike among the ruins left behind by the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) -
A wildfire-ravaged property is shown after the Palisades Fire swept through in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) -
The Community Church, on Via De La Paz, destroyed in the Palisades Fire, on January 8, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades community. (Photo by Jay L. Clendenin/Getty Images) -
The Palisades Fire perimeter and evacuation zones on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (CalFire) -
The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen from the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) -
The devastation from the Palisades Fire is seen from the air in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
More than 800 firefighting personnel, with the help of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, are battling the blaze. However, the same winds that fueled the fire have limited the use of aerial resources.
“Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire,” CalFire said in a bulletin. “Winds gusts up to 60 MPH are expected to continue through Thursday, potentially aiding in further fire activity and suppression efforts.”
The evacuation order extended throughout the Pacific Palisades to the Pacific Ocean and included areas of Santa Monica, Malibu and Topanga. Residents and businesses in Calabasas remained under an evacuation warning on Thursday.
With thousands of structures destroyed, the Palisades Fire is already far more destructive than the second-most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history, according to statistics from the Wildfire Alliance, the Associated Press reported. Damage is believed to be in the tens of billions of dollars.
The last most destructive fire was the Sayre Fire in November 2008, which destroyed 604 structures in Sylmar.
The Palisades Fire was one of several large wildfires that have forced evacuations in the Los Angeles area this week. The Eaton Fire has claimed five lives and destroyed a still-undetermined number of homes in the areas of Altadena and Pasadena.
Also, thousands of residents fled their homes Wednesday evening when a fast-moving brush fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills. The Sunset Fire charred around 40 acres before crews gained the upper hand and lifted most evacuation orders around midnight.
This developing story will be updated throughout the night.
