President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden hunkered down in Los Angeles on Tuesday as Santa Ana winds caused a brush fire to spread rapidly in the hills of the Pacific Palisades, triggering evacuation orders for thousands of locals.
The fire was first reported around 10:30 a.m. PT and had already grown to 200 acres as of 11:45 a.m. PT and 300 acres as of 2 p.m. PT, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Erik Scott. Forecasters determined that these Santa Ana winds are the strongest in more than a decade.
Biden was in a motorcade vehicle in the West Los Angeles/Santa Monica area Tuesday morning for his planned trip to Thermal outside Joshua Tree National Park when his camp decided to return to their hotel.
“Today’s event will be rescheduled for next week at the White House so that key stakeholders can attend,” the White House shared. The Bidens arrived in L.A. on Monday night and it is unclear when they are now expected to leave.
Pacific Palisades fire is horrifying. It’s steps away from Santa Monica
pic.twitter.com/qyDUzVc3DL
— votkon (@votkon) January 7, 2025
Scott issued an evacuation warning for the Pacific Palisades Highlands community, including all neighborhoods from “Rustic Canyon to the East and Topanga Canyon to the West.”
“Those near the Palisades Fire should get set for a potential evacuation,” the city of Los Angeles posted on X earlier Tuesday. David Ortiz of the LAFD urged West L.A. residents to follow orders and “do not stand in the way of this fire.”
Mayor Karen Bass echoed those sentiments on X, writing, “In preparation for high winds, LAFD pre-deployed strike teams in and near areas prone to wildfire. Firefighters are now actively and aggressively responding to the Palisades Fire with support from regional partners. Angelenos in the area are urged to heed evacuation warnings and follow direction from public safety officials. Due to increasing winds, this is a very dangerous situation.”
Palisades Drive is closed from Pacific Coast Highway up into the Palisades Highlands neighborhood. All Malibu schools were closed for the day and Pacific Palisades schools are relocating to other locations.
The high winds are forecasted to continue through Wednesday, and the National Weather Service said gusts could get up to 100 miles per hour. Some structural damage has been reported, with LAFD officials stressing this is just the beginning.
The Pacific Palisades are located about 10 miles from Malibu, where the fires burned over 4,000 acres and several homes after similar windy conditions in December.
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