The Pacific Palisades Fire’s Containment Will Have a Lot to Do With Wind—Here’s Why

A fire ripping through a wealthy area of Los Angeles is accompanied by “near worst-case scenario” weather conditions, according to a meteorologist.

Why It Matters

A brush fire broke out in Pacific Palisades, California, around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and quickly spread to encompass 200 acres, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Amid concerns that strong winds would help spread the fire, mandatory evacuation orders were issued in the affluent area, which is on the coast and in the mountains north of Santa Monica.

What To Know

“It’s a near worst-case scenario for #PacificPalisades with 46-55 mph winds pushing a brush fire into multiple neighborhoods. Evacuation ORDERS have just been issued,” Paul Deanno, meteorologist for Los Angeles CBS stations KCBS and KCAL, wrote in a post to X, formerly Twitter.

Less than two hours after the brush fire began, the LAFD had issued mandatory evacuation orders for a large area extending from the mountainous portion where the fire started to the Pacific Coast Highway, where traffic was shut down in both directions.

At least three schools were forced to temporarily relocate, according to an X post from Los Angeles Unified School District West.

This is a developing story and will be updated as further information becomes available.