A sixth blaze erupted in the Greater Los Angeles area—this time in the Hollywood Hills—late Wednesday evening, as emergency crews were still fighting to contain a devastating spate of wildfires that have resulted in five deaths and forced thousands to flee from their homes.
The Context
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) immediately issued an evacuation order due to the Sunset Fire for a densely populated area bounded by Runyon Canyon on the west, Mulholland Drive on the north, the 101 Freeway on the east and Hollywood Boulevard on the south.
As of 10:05 p.m. ET Wednesday, the fire covered 20 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
What To Know
Margaret Stewart, public information officer at LAFD, told KABC that it was a “very dynamic situation” and an “explosive fire” had “blown up in Runyon Canyon.”
The LAFD posted a map showing the evacuation zone for the Sunset Fire to its website:
The Sunset Fire is just uphill from a popular area of Hollywood often frequented by tourists. The flames are also not far from the iconic Hollywood Sign, although the landmark did not appear to be in immediate danger at the time of publication.
In addition to the Sunset Fire, crews are fighting to contain the rapidly spreading Palisades and Eaton fires, as well as the Hurst, Lidia and Woodley blazes.
The fires were exacerbated by a severe windstorm that fanned the flames, spurring hardships for firefighters working to contain them.
What People Are Saying
Chris Gardner, senior staff writer for The Hollywood Reporter, while sharing a video in a post to X, formerly Twitter: “After getting evacuation notice for my block and neighborhood in Santa Monica off of Ocean Avenue, came to a friend’s apartment in Hollywood on Alta Vista steps off Sunset. I wasn’t here even minutes and evacuating here now due to fire on Runyon Canyon called Sunset Fire. It’s unreal. Sirens, helicopters everywhere. Definitely in my car leaving town now!”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in a post to X: “An emergency shelter is open in the city for residents evacuating from the #SunsetFire. Pan Pacific Recreational Center: 7600 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036. If you’re in the evacuation zone, please heed the evacuation order immediately.”
President Joe Biden, on X shortly after the Sunset Fire erupted: “I’ve just received a briefing from @FEMA Administrator [Deanne] Criswell and my Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall, on the latest around our federal response to the wildfires across Los Angeles. Southern California, we are with you. And we’re not letting up.”
What Happens Next
Firefighters and other emergency workers continue battling the major fires burning in and around Los Angeles and assisting in evacuation efforts. While the potent winds driving the fires to rapidly escalate were expected to die down by Thursday night, the initial causes of all the blazes remain under investigation.
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