Pacific Palisades wildfire forces Joe Biden to change plans with evacuation order issued as ‘blowtorch’ blaze spreads
A RAGING wildfire has ravaged wealthy Los Angeles neighborhoods, forcing Joe Biden to cancel a planned visit.
Residents of the Pacific Palisades are running for their lives from the blaze that firefighters describe as the “worst possible scenario.”
The fire, which is believed to have caught in dry vegetation, was first reported around 10:30 am, according to Los Angeles spokesperson Erik Scott.
It quickly grew in scale, covering an area of 200 acres in under an hour.
Throughout the morning, it spread rapidly and is now heading westward toward the historic mansions.
President Joe Biden was scheduled to give remarks in the nearby Coachella Valley, where he would announce the creation of two national monuments.
These monuments will represent the protection of more than 848,000 acres of land from drilling and other energy development.
However, Biden abruptly canceled the speech because of the fire.
Around 26,000 people are under an evacuation order, with more than 13,000 buildings threatened by fire.
The blaze has spread to an area of more than 300 acres.
Darkness has descended on the coastal subdivision in western Los Angeles, and billows of smoke blotted out the sun.
It has also spread to neighboring Santa Monica.
Over 100 brave firefighters are fighting the firestorm, which has been harrowingly described as a “blowtorch.”
“This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight,” LAFD’s David Ortiz told KTLA.
The Los Angeles Fire Department released a statement on the NotifyLA alert system.
“The Palisades Fire is burning near Palisades Drive,” it said.
“Those nearby should get set for a potential wildfire evacuation by gathering supplies and loved ones.”
Flames are now being fanned by dangerous wind conditions, threatening to create a deadly wind storm.
Actor James Woods, known for voicing Hades in the 1997 animated film Hercules, shared a terrifying video of the fire approaching his home.
“I’m standing in my driveway waiting to evacuate,” he said on X as planes zoomed over the encroaching blaze.
“Hope everybody gets out safely,” he said in another post.
Video shared by Matthew Seedorff, a FoxLA reporter, shows multiple houses engulfed in flames on Shadow Mountain Drive in Pacific Palisades.
HOME TO THE STARS
The Pacific Palisades is an affluent area that boasts sweeping views of the coast near Malibu.
Plenty of A-list celebrities call it home, including actor Matt Damon, talk show host Whoopi Goldberg, and supermodel Brooke Shields.
It’s also home to the Getty Villa Art Museum, which hosts notable Greek and Roman artifacts that date back to 6,500 BC.