Palisades fire: Evacuations, schools and road closures, all you need to know amid LA wildfire

The recent "Palisades fire" has impacted over 30,000 people, forcing them to evacuate and relocate. The wildfire, which broke out on January 7 at 10:30 am, has grown to more than 2,921 acres while firefighters are still trying to contain the situation. The wildfires, including the Palisades fire, have already damaged many properties in the affected LA region.

The evacuation orders are still in place, while certain schools in the region will remain closed on Wednesday, citing the weather conditions and the expanding Palisades fire. Westwood Recreation Center is open for evacuees and small animals. At the same time, the authorities have directed the affected to evacuate the large animals to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Here are more details about the road closures, evacuation process, school operations, and more.

Where can the evacuation centers be found amid the Palisades fire?

Evacuees can find the evacuation points (Westwood Recreation Center) at 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd. At the same time, the Los Angeles Equestrian Center for Large Animals is located at 480 Riverside Dr, Burbank.

Besides these two evacuation points, survivors can also seek shelter for small animals at Agoura Animal Care (29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills). Pierce College Equestrian Center (6201 Winnetka Ave, Woodland Hills) is an evacuation point for large animals.

The evacuation warnings are in effect in the following zones:

• CAL-C405, CAL-C406, CAL-C407, CAL-C408, CAL-C409, CAL-C410, CAL-C411, CAL-C412, CAL-C413, CAL-C414, CAL-C415, DRY-U026, MAL-C111-A, MAL-C112, MTN-U028, RMB-U030-A, RMB-U030-B, RRC-U027, SDP-U029

In the following zones, the evacuation orders are in effect:

• LOS-Q0767, MAL-C111-A, MAL-C111-B, RMB-U030-A, SSM-U010-A, SSM-U010-B, TOP-U001, TOP-U002, TOP-U003, TOP-U004, TOP-U005, TOP-U006, TOP-U007, TOP-U008, TOP-U009

Thus, the affected residents of Pacific Palisades are suggested to evacuate as soon as possible.

Roads closed, and school operations halted due to the Palisades fire

Due to the expansion of the Palisades fire, the authorities have directed the closure of certain roads affected by the incident. The following roads have been closed:

• Southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Las Flores Canyon Rd
• Southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Topanga Canyon Boulevard
• Coastline Drive and Southbound Pacific Coast Highway

Apart from the roads, the Los Angeles Unified School District has called for the school closures of certain institutions on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. In a statement released via social media, LAUSD confirmed that the following schools will remain shut:

• Canyon Charter Elementary School
• Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary School
• Marquez Charter Elementary School
• Palisades Charter Elementary School
• Paul Revere Charter Elementary School

While the students can access their academics via digital resources, LAUSD will announce its decision of "school closures on January 9" on January 8, 2025, by 04:00 pm local time. LAUSD also noted that the Palisades fire has directly impacted the Palisades Charter High School, which is not in session currently. Hence, no decision has been taken in the high school's case.

Kamala Harris issues statement after the wildfires broke out in Southern California

After the wildfires broke out in Southern California, Vice President Kamala Harris issued a statement addressing the situation,

"My heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devasting wildfires in Southern California. Doug and I are praying for our fellow Californians who have evacuated, and we are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses, and schools remain in harm's way. We are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe."

The statement revealed that Harris was briefed about the ongoing incident and has received all the updates. The statement talked about the assistance being provided to curb the wildfires and continued,

"President Biden and I are committed to ensuring that no community has to respond to this disaster alone. We have already mobilized federal resources to help suppress the fires, provide overhead support, and begin assisting those impacted. FEMA also quickly approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help reimburse the state for immediate firefighting costs."

She concluded,

"As we respond and as Californians recover, I will ensure that our administration is in constant contact with state and local officials."

At the time of this writing, there are no updates regarding the fire's containment. However, as the suppression measures are in full swing, the weather reports have hinted at wind gusts up to 60 M/H continuing through Thursday, January 9. Thus, the weather conditions can potentially increase the fire activity and hinder the suppression efforts.

As firefighters attempt to contain the Palisades fire, the Eaton fire has also broken out near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive (Altadena/Pasadena). The wildfire blazed on January 7 around 6:23 pm and is still growing. The fire department has already issued evacuation warnings for the region, as the wildfire has expanded more than 400 acres.