Palisades Fire in Los Angeles: Elderly Residents Evacuated with No Shoes on While the Worst Is Still ‘Yet to Come’
The Palisades Fire in Los Angeles has left thousands scrambling for safety, with elderly residents evacuated in little more than their nightwear and socks. Sadly, as powerful winds grounded aircraft and flames spread uncontrollably, it seems this fiery battle is far from over.
The Palisades Fire erupted with a fury that left residents fleeing for their lives, some without shoes or basic necessities, as fierce winds fueled the flames and created chaos in evacuation zones.
A firefighter working in front of the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church as it’s engulfed in flames during a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
What started as a manageable blaze quickly spiraled out of control, forcing more than 30,000 people to flee from their homes and prompting officials to warn the public that the worst is “yet to come.”
Flames from the Palisades fire burning a home during a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
The fire ignited around 10:30 a.m. near Piedra Morada Drive and, by early evening, had scorched nearly 3,000 acres. Driven by relentless winds, it grew at a staggering pace, burning the equivalent of over one football field a minute and jumping highways as residents scrambled to escape.
A police officer escorting a homeless woman away from Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard as the Palisades fire raged down the hills in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
The intense winds — with gusts expected to reach as high as 80 mph — grounded firefighting aircraft, making it nearly impossible to contain the blaze. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Margaret Stewart confirmed that air support had to be halted by 8 p.m. due to unsafe weather conditions.
Smoke filling the sky as seen from the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on January 7, 2025. | Source: Getty Images
Firefighters were left to battle the inferno from the ground, facing extreme fire behavior and unpredictable flames. The scene was eerily reminiscent of past California wildfires, particularly December’s Franklin Fire, which devastated the same region.
This time, traffic jams made the evacuation process even more perilous. Many residents abandoned their cars on congested roads, opting to run to safety on foot.
A man evacuating along Sunset Boulevard as the fire burns amid a powerful windstorm on January 7, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Firefighters pleaded with people to park their cars on the side of the road or leave their keys behind to allow emergency vehicles to pass. But many vehicles were left in the way, forcing crews to bulldoze cars off the streets to clear a path.
The unfolding disaster wasn’t limited to the Palisades area. In neighboring Los Angeles County, the Eaton Fire threatened Altadena and Pasadena, prompting emergency evacuations at a local elderly care facility.
