Aerial footage of Pacific Palisades, an affluent neighborhood in Southern California, shows that homes and businesses have been reduced to rubble after a wildfire burned through the community this week.
After clouds and smoke cleared on Thursday, ABC 7 Eyewitness News captured aerial footage showing rows upon rows of homes that were completely taken out by the flames. Officials estimate that around 1,000 houses were destroyed in the Palisades fire along with another 1,000 houses in the Eaton fire, which is near Pasadena — east of Pacific Palisades, The Los Angeles Times reported.
“The Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.
An ABC 7 reporter describing the aerial footage said Pacific Palisades “looks like a war zone.”
“The clouds just cleared, and I can tell you it’s the most devastating event that I’ve seen. I’ve seen the earthquakes, all the fires here for the last 30 or 40 years, and we’ve never seen anything like this,” the reporter said.
“I’ve never seen such destruction.” AIR7 got aerial views of the wildfire devastation in Pacific Palisades. 💔
Watch live fire coverage here: https://t.co/gx8OUSXIS6 pic.twitter.com/yt27uIEH5x
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) January 9, 2025
“As you can see, row after row after row, every single home burned right down to the foundation,” he added.
At least five people have died in the Eaton fire, while no deaths have yet been reported from any other fire around Los Angeles. Five fires have burned for three days as firefighters struggle to contain them. The fires are fueled by dry conditions and stoked by the powerful Santa Ana winds.
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While the Eaton fire has 0% containment, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a press conference on Thursday morning that the fire’s growth has “significantly stopped,” according to the L.A. Times. The Palisades fire, which has burned 17,234 acres, also has 0% containment, but officials are hopeful that the calmer winds on Thursday will help firefighters contain more of the fire.
Evacuation orders were lifted for residents in Hollywood and the Hollywood Hills Thursday morning after firefighters contained the Sunset fire, which burned 42 acres on Wednesday. A firefighter told the L.A. Times, “It’s a miracle that no homes burned” in Hollywood.
