Thousands flee three LA wildfires as forecasters warn worst is yet to come

[Social Media]

 

What to know about the three fires burning in the LA area

The Palisades fire: First reported at 10:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire grew in just 20 minutes from a blaze of 20 acres to more than 200 acres. Now, at least 30,000 people have been ordered to be evacuated from their homes and it covers nearly 3,000 acres.

🇺🇸 -- NEW: Evacuation orders have been issued for approximately 100,000 residents and 40,000 structures in the vicinity of the Eaton Fire, in areas near Pasadena, California. pic.twitter.com/ph03cA6kVZ

— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) January 8, 2025

The Eaton fire: Within the first six hours of breaking out in Altadena, the Eaton fire had already grown to cover 1,000 acres. The fire started Tuesday evening in the hills above Pasadena (18:30 local time, 02:30 GMT).

The Hurst fire: Located just north of San Fernando, this third fire began burning on Tuesday at around 22:10 local time (06:10 GMT). It has grown to 500 acres, according to local officials and has triggered evacuation orders in neighbouring Santa Clarita.

 

'We're not even in the worst of it yet,' says fire expert;

I've just spoken to fire ecologist Chad Hanson, who predicts it is going to be a very long night for fire crews.

"The most extreme fire weather is projected to occur between 02:00 - 06:00 Pacific time. So we are not even in the worst of it yet. It's going to be quite a rough night."

 

Hanson explains it is still considered to be wildfire season in this part of California and the biggest influence in the current fires is the Santa Ana winds.

 

"You can certainly have fires in winter," he says. "The biggest fires are in November, December and early January. Fires are driven by the weather and they are basically stopped by the weather."

 

"These winds are unique to southern California and it results in extreme, sustained wind events with pretty dramatic gusts," Hanson adds. "It is a double whammy as we have already had dry conditions because of a lack of rain - then the winds dry things out further."

 

Based on a report by BBC 2024-01-08

 

 

[novacova]

It doesn’t take much to get a fire of this magnitude going with high winds coming out of the dry desert from the east, unfortunately it’ll burn until the rain comes.

[Cryingdick]

Fires caused by arson increase every year and that won't help.

[MalcolmB]

These events will only get worse with climate change.

[impulse]

I don't guess it had anything to do with the DEI mayor cutting the LAFD budget by $20 million (need more $$$ for the newcomers, after all) and the LGBTQ fire chief focusing her efforts on diversity and not on competence (and the upper body strength to haul a >100 pound fire hose).

 

[impulse]

Here's 2 snippets that connect the dots that are going to make this explode.

 

“The people in charge, she took over and she put on her bio that her priority, my highest priority is inclusion, diversity, and equity. That is my priority. And somebody forgot to fill all the reservoirs, I guess, with water because when I was getting smoke alarms, there was a fire truck parked in front of my house, but they couldn’t pump any water because there was none, because they didn’t put them in the reservoirs,” Woods said.

 

That's actor James Woods.

 

James Woods Smacks Down ‘Blithering Idiot’ Gavin Newsom For Dropping Ball On Forest Management | The Daily Caller

 

Eight of the top ten highest-paid city officials in Los Angeles work for the LADWP, according to OpenTheBooks’ analysis. The department saw “scores” of the fire hydrants in its purview run dry overnight as firefighters tried to contain raging fires that have destroyed hundreds of buildings and continue to be out of control, according to The Los Angeles Times.

 

Quiñones took the top job at LADWP in May 2024, landing a salary of $750,000, according to local outlet ABC7.

 

LADWP Load Dispatcher Mark Chambers took home a whopping $857,458 in total compensation — which includes salary, overtime and other pay— in 2023,

 

...fellow load dispatcher Kenneth McCrank made nearly $787,000 that same year, according to OpenTheBooks.

 

Gary Carivau, an electrical services manager for LADWP, raked in more than $782,000 in 2023.

 

Elsewhere in the department, electric distribution mechanic William Santana made $763,675 in 2023,

 

...followed closely by LADWP Senior Electrical Repair Supervisor Jason Contreras and his $763,195 in compensation for the same year, according to OpenTheBooks.

 

Gregory Martin — an electric distribution mechanic supervisor for the department — took home just over $740,000 in 2023, according to OpenTheBooks.

 

LADWP Labor Supervisor Brad Weller rounded out the top ten list by making $606,095 in 2023.

 

So there's no water at the fire hydrants while these gub'ment knobs are making around 3/4 of a million $$$ a year...

 

LA Water And Power Officials Rake In Fat Salaries As Fire Hydrants Run Dry | The Daily Caller

 

[alex8912]

8 hours ago, impulse said:

I don't guess it had anything to do with the DEI mayor cutting the LAFD budget by $20 million (need more $$$ for the newcomers, after all) and the LGBTQ fire chief focusing her efforts on diversity and not on competence (and the upper body strength to haul a >100 pound fire hose).

 

She went to Africa just before the fires knowing that the Santa Anna winds were going to be extremely strong and fires were already around. She is horrible! 
These fires now are just massive. I feel so sorry for these homeowners and renters. There is often no time to take things and you actually KNOW your whole neighborhood will be gone. Horrible! 

[Eric Loh]

Calamity like this shouldn't be political. Biden has demonstrated apolitical leadership and encourgement while President elect Trump seized on the LA calamity to feud with Newsom and spreading misinformation. America do not deserve a divisive and dross President like Trump. Voters have made a bad mistake and will suffer the consequences. 

[Tug]

59 minutes ago, impulse said:

Here's 2 snippets that connect the dots that are going to make this explode.

 

“The people in charge, she took over and she put on her bio that her priority, my highest priority is inclusion, diversity, and equity. That is my priority. And somebody forgot to fill all the reservoirs, I guess, with water because when I was getting smoke alarms, there was a fire truck parked in front of my house, but they couldn’t pump any water because there was none, because they didn’t put them in the reservoirs,” Woods said.

 

That's actor James Woods.

 

James Woods Smacks Down ‘Blithering Idiot’ Gavin Newsom For Dropping Ball On Forest Management | The Daily Caller

 

Eight of the top ten highest-paid city officials in Los Angeles work for the LADWP, according to OpenTheBooks’ analysis. The department saw “scores” of the fire hydrants in its purview run dry overnight as firefighters tried to contain raging fires that have destroyed hundreds of buildings and continue to be out of control, according to The Los Angeles Times.

 

Quiñones took the top job at LADWP in May 2024, landing a salary of $750,000, according to local outlet ABC7.

 

LADWP Load Dispatcher Mark Chambers took home a whopping $857,458 in total compensation — which includes salary, overtime and other pay— in 2023,

 

...fellow load dispatcher Kenneth McCrank made nearly $787,000 that same year, according to OpenTheBooks.

 

Gary Carivau, an electrical services manager for LADWP, raked in more than $782,000 in 2023.

 

Elsewhere in the department, electric distribution mechanic William Santana made $763,675 in 2023,

 

...followed closely by LADWP Senior Electrical Repair Supervisor Jason Contreras and his $763,195 in compensation for the same year, according to OpenTheBooks.

 

Gregory Martin — an electric distribution mechanic supervisor for the department — took home just over $740,000 in 2023, according to OpenTheBooks.

 

LADWP Labor Supervisor Brad Weller rounded out the top ten list by making $606,095 in 2023.

 

So there's no water at the fire hydrants while these gub'ment knobs are making around 3/4 of a million $$$ a year...

 

LA Water And Power Officials Rake In Fat Salaries As Fire Hydrants Run Dry | The Daily Caller

 

That’s right….the dry weather and 100mph gusts couldn’t possibly have anything to do with it… stop whining and bleating it’s a fire.its not someone’s sexual preference and believe me water conservation is a big deal in California I know I pay my water bill every month 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

That’s right….the dry weather and 100mph gusts couldn’t possibly have anything to do with it… stop whining and bleating it’s a fire.its not someone’s sexual preference and believe me water conservation is a big deal in California I know I pay my water bill every month 

 

So you're not perturbed at all that an electric distribution mechanic is making $763K a year on the taxpayers' dime, then fails to provide water to the hydrants during a very predictable emergency?

 

TBH, the thing that pisses me off the most is that when they can't afford to rebuild (because insurance companies quit writing fire insurance in California on account of bad policy), they'll be moving to Texas.  And the Californians we've already got don't connect the way they voted with the results they got.  So they're bringing the lefty disaster to Texas and Florida and...  and... 

 

And then, the Federal gub'ment will spend billions of our taxes to rebuild the uninsured homes.

 

[novacova]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Calamity like this shouldn't be political.

You’re right, it shouldn’t be political. But unfortunately it is because idiots like Newsom trying to save a minnow and a lunatic LA mayor deliberately misappropriating funds has only exasperated the situation. Why would anyone ever expect anything different from the left, it’s like clockwork that every decision they make is the exact 180 degrees opposite of what should be done.

[jas007]

One time, when I lived just north of San Diego, there was a fire spreading on the other side of I-5, headed my way.  Fortunately, they got it under control.  Some people were really scared, though.  I remember seeing a lady at the local convenience store/gas station, pulling a trailer behind her car.  Her horses were in it and her kids were in the car.  That's all she could do.  Get out of the way. 

[save the frogs]

Joe Rogan predicted it way before this event happened.

 

 

[Cryingdick]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

So you're not perturbed at all that an electric distribution mechanic is making $763K a year on the taxpayers' dime, then fails to provide water to the hydrants during a very predictable emergency?

 

TBH, the thing that pisses me off the most is that when they can't afford to rebuild (because insurance companies quit writing fire insurance in California on account of bad policy), they'll be moving to Texas.  And the Californians we've already got don't connect the way they voted with the results they got.  So they're bringing the lefty disaster to Texas and Florida and...  and... 

 

And then, the Federal gub'ment will spend billions of our taxes to rebuild the uninsured homes.

 

 

Be logical. It is just a few thousand acres, it's just a dozen celebrity homes. Nothing to see here folks.