'This is like a horror movie' — woman describes scene in Santa Monica
She could see the fire before she could smell it. But as it raced toward Santa Monica and the winds began to rattle the apartment, Eliza Leonchenko, 25, decided to evacuate.
Leonchenko, who lives in Italy, was visiting her friend in Santa Monica when she watched from her apartment the fires decimating the Palisades. But the strong winds blowing away from her meant she could barely smell it coming.
"If people are not feeling the fire and are just seeing it, they might think it's not getting closer and not getting more dangerous," she said in a phone interview. But as the evening fell and the sky turned blood red, she said "people were shocked" as the threat becoming increasingly clear.
"During the day, we were like, oh, my God, it's so far, but then suddenly it was so close," she said, as she ultimately decided to heed the warnings and evacuate to a hotel near Long Beach after a frantic search for rooms around Los Angeles.
“I’ve never seen something like this movie. This is like a horror movie,” she added.
Fire destroys Pasadena Jewish temple and center
An eyewitness described seeing the Pasadena Jewish temple and center in Altadena burning in the Eaton Fire as a “bad, bad, horrific dream.” KNBC’s Tracey Leong reports from Altadena.
Where is the mayor of Los Angeles?
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attended the inauguration of Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama yesterday in Accra, Ghana, and is currently out of the country.
She was previously selected by President Joe Biden to join the presidential delegation and attend the swearing in of Mahama. The delegation was announced by the White House on Jan. 3.
Bass has been active on X, sharing updates in relation to the several fires around L.A.
Power outages in LA as debris from winds clutter the freeway
Pacific Palisades has turned into an evacuation zone as debris from the strong winds collects along the freeways, with the raging fires visible in distance.
Los Angeles is engulfed in the smell of smoke, with downed trees and ash blowing around. The Universal City was also blanketed under heavy winds.
Power outages have affected the NBC News bureau in Los Angeles which lost power briefly just after midnight and has been running on backup power.
Forecast: Destructive winds up to 100 mph will lead to explosive fire growth in Southern California
The Palisades, Eaton and Hurst wildfires raging in Southern California will be fueled by peak winds of 100 mph, placing 19 million people at risk. NBC News meteorologist Angie Lassman has the details on Early Today.
Winds of nearly 70 miles an hour hit Malibu coast
Winds around Malibu Creek reached 66 miles an hour before midnight, according to the National Weather Service, which also said the Ramirez Canyon experiencing similar winds fanning the flames.
Malibu City officials have urged residents not under the evacuation orders to prepare to leave if conditions worsen.
More than 1,400 firefighters deployed to tackle growing blazes, Newsom says
Over 1,400 firefighting personnel have been deployed to battle the fires in Los Angeles, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a post on X.
"Emergency officials, firefighters, and first responders are all hands on deck through the night to do everything possible to protect lives," he added.
LA County juvenile hall ready to evacuate if necessary
While the youth detention facilities including the Sylmar Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles, which is in the path of the Hurst Fire, have not been ordered to evacuate, officials there said they are prepared to evacuate if needed.
"Both youth and staff are safe, and we are monitoring the situation closely," Vicky Waters, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Probation Department told NBC News."
"Should the situation change, we are ready to respond and evacuate safely and expeditiously," Waters added.
Winds up to 60 mph fueling Palisades Fire will last until Thursday
The warm winds of up to 60 mph that are helping wildfires to spread across the LA metro area will last until at least Thursday, LA County Fire said early today.
The Palisades fire is almost at 3,000 acres, which is around 4.5 square miles, and is 0% contained.
Malibu oceanfront properties engulfed in flames
Firefighters tackle beachfront homes ablaze along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu during the Palisades Fire last night.