A wildfire erupted in the Pacific Palisades area Tuesday morning amid strong Santa Ana winds. The fire is believed to have damaged multiple homes.
Firefighters with the Los Angeles Fire Department are on the scene and have estimated the size of the fire at roughly 200 acres.
The fire was initially reported around 10:30 a.m. at the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive. Air tankers were seen making drops as firefighters from the area rush to contain the blaze.
The city of L.A. has notified residents near the fire to be ready to evacuate. The city has urged residents to monitor local news and lafd.org/alerts for updates. LAFD officials said evacuation warnings are in place from Topanga Canyon on the west to Rustic Canyon on the east. Fire crews on scene are requesting evacuations stretching to Pacific Coast Highway.
"In preparation for high winds, LAFD pre-deployed strike teams in and near areas prone to wildfire. Firefighters are now actively and aggressively responding to the #PalisadesFire with support from
regional partners. Angelenos in the area are urged to heed evacuation warnings and follow direction from public safety officials. Due to increasing winds, this is a very dangerous situation. Sign up for @NotifyLA alerts and follow @LAFD for updated information -- stay safe L.A,'' L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement on X.
Eastbound PCH has been closed at Topanga Canyon Boulevard. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The Santa Ana winds -- which is causing the rapid growth of the fire -- are expected to continue for the next two days. Red flag warnings across Southern California are expected to be in place until Thursday.