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Crews have made progress battling the Getty Fire, which is burning in the Mandeville Canyon area west of the 405 Freeway, but we're not out of the woods yet. The fire has chewed through 745 acres and destroyed or damaged more than a dozen homes. Arson investigators have determined the fire was sparked by a broken tree branch that was blown into power lines.
It's one of several high-intesity fires -- including the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County and the Tick Fire in the Santa Clarita area -- that have displaced tens of thousands of Californians, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a statewide emergency over the weekend.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, though, most evacuations involving the Getty Fire were lifted.
Firefighters have said that "the fire and the hotspots no longer threaten those areas," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "[It's the] really extraordinary work by our firefightehs, a blessing of some less strong but still powerful wind today, but not as bad as it could have been, that gives us the confidence to do that."
Garcetti added that he hopes all evacuations will be lifted by late tomorrow morning.
The windy weather remains the biggest challenge facing fire crews. They expect 30-50 mph winds with gusts up to 70 mph. Combined with low humidity, "This all adds up to an extreme fire weather threat, meaning that conditions are as dangerous for fire growth and behavior as we have seen in recent years," according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
THE BASICS
RELATED: California Fires Are Getting Worse. What's Going On?
WEATHER CONDITIONS
An "extreme red flag warning" was in effect as of Tuesday night. It will last through 6 p.m. Thursday. Winds of 30 to 50 mph are expected and peak gusts could hit 70 mph in the mountains.
Rich Thomson, an incident metereologist with the National Weather Service has been assigned to assist crews battling the Getty Fire. He told KPCC/LAist on Tuesday that it was the first time he remembered his office describing a red flag warning as "extreme."
He said the combination of gusty Santa Ana winds, low humidity and dry brush could add up to the strongest red flag event since October 2007, when the Witch Fire ravaged San Diego, destroying more than 1,600 structures.
"That's why we're using that really strong wording, to really get the word out to people that this could be a very potentially significant event," Thomson said. "More so than your run-of-the-mill Santa Ana, which can cause fires and issues. All the parameters come together for this particular event, [making] the potential for extreme fire behavior and extreme fire growth to occur."
Thomson wasn't the only one raising the alarm.
The city has another measure of risk called the brush index, which takes into account the humidity, heat and wind strength. The highest index the city has seen, Garcetti said Tuesday, was 266, just before the Thomas Fire. For this wind event, the index is 301.
"So for folks who are right now anxious to get home, please listen to that number very carefully," Garcetti said. "That is something which we have never seen since we've been putting this brush index together."
This means L.A.'s red flag parking restrictions have been in effect since Tuesday at 8 p.m.
On Tuesday, LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas once again urged residents to sign up for the city's emergency alerts.
"It's a dangerous season right now," Terrazas said earlier this week. "Santa Ana winds pick up in September and last through April. We have not had any significant rainfall for a period of time. So that's why we're very, very concerned about these weather conditions."
L.A. County sent a few tips via Twitter about how to prepare for extreme wind:
Tips to prepare for severe wind:
— Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) October 30, 2019
🌬️Store items that can become a flying hazard & strike power lines indoors
🌳Inspect trees for loose/fallen branches
🚬Properly dispose of cigarettes & avoid open flames/creating sparks
✅Be prepared with an emergency plan & supply kit
You can read more about how to prepare for possible power outages here.
EVACUATIONS
Mandatory evacuations were issued in the area with the following borders:
As of 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, all evacuations have been lifted except the area with the following borders:
Voluntary evacuations were issued in the area with the following borders:
Los Angeles police are offering people escorts back to their homes for five to 10 minutes to pick up medication and pets. Evacuees will need to be able to show identification with proof of residency. Officers will take a photo of that identification. See below for a list of locations to obtain an escort:
EVACUATION CENTERS / SHELTERS
For people:
For animals:
Another potentially life-threatening impact from the fire emerged Tuesday: as the city of L.A.'s animal shelters take in displaced pets, there is now less room for the homeless pets already there.
The city's animal services department said Tuesday that some local shelters are in urgent need of people to foster and adopt animals.
DUE TO THE FIRE: We need YOUR help making life-saving space at our centers by adopting or fostering pets. To foster, fill out an application off of our website and take it to your nearest LAAS location. We're open from 8 am - 5 pm Tu - Sat, and 11 am - 5 pm Sun. pic.twitter.com/zs0QMMIr8h
— LA Animal Services (@LACityPets) October 29, 2019
More information is available on the L.A. Animal Services website.
ROAD CLOSURES
SCHOOL CLOSURES
All schools in Malibu will remain closed Thursday. LAUSD updates are available here. Check with your local school or school district for other information.
AIR QUALITY
Check AQMD's website for a live map of air quality conditions.
BACKGROUND
The Getty Fire broke out just after 1:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28 about 50 acres west of the 405 Freeway near Sunset Boulevard, not far from the Getty Center. Within hours, it had spread to hundreds of acres and prompted thousands of mandatory evacuations.
Arson investigators determined that the fire was caused by a eucalyptus tree branch that broke off and was carried by the strong winds into power lines 30 feet away. The contact caused an arc that sent sparks flying onto the ground, igniting the fire.
LADWP general manager Marty Adams said utility crews had cleared the brush around the pole in July and that they maintain space around their equipment that is beyond the state recommendations.
"In this unfortunate situation. It could have been a tree branch, could have been a palm frond from across the freeway, a Mylar balloon. Any of those things entering into the area are things that we cannot control so that makes the challenge of how to deliver reliable power [and] at the same time be vigilant on a windy day such as we had these last few days," Adams said Tuesday.
Mayor Eric Garcetti called it an "act of god."
HOW WE'RE REPORTING ON THIS
Reporters Sharon McNary and Jacob Margolis provided coverage from the scene of the fire. Digital producer Ryan Fonseca and Elina Shatkin kept this story updated. Additional research and reporting was being done by LAist staffers and KPCC newscast producers.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For the latest information straight from local emergency officials, check the following websites and social media accounts:
FIRE RESOURCES
YOUR QUESTIONS
