An evacuation center at Westwood Recreation Center, located at 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd., is open for evacuees and accepts small animals
By Zach Armstrong
Officials continue to battle the Palisades fire: a nearly 3,000-acre blaze which has already ravaged a bevy of homes in the affluent community along with many of its beloved local establishments.
The entire neighborhood has been under an evacuation order since a brushfire ignited early on Jan. 7 near Piedra Morada Drive and quickly spread out of control. Whereas 200 acres were ablaze in initial reports, the fire’s radius encompassed 2,921 acres just hours later, according to CalFire. By 7:30 p.m., the evacuation zone included east to Kenter and north to Mulholland Rd. in addition to Merrimac Road from the northeast, Topanga Canyon Boulevard from the northwest, and the Pacific Coast Highway from the south. About 30,000 residents have been evacuated, the LA Times reported.
Evacuation shelters have been established at Westwood Recreation Center, located at 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd., which also accepts small animals, and El Camino Real Charter High School located at 5440 Valley Circle Blvd.
Several factors put Palisades in particular danger of wildfires under current conditions of dry vegetation and heavy wind gusts. Much of the region is covered in flammable vegetation and brush, including dense chaparral which, especially if dry and in areas that haven’t burned in years, can result in intense fires. Once ignited, the area’s steep terrain can cause fires to spread quickly uphill, making containment difficult.
After day one, here’s what has already been damaged and/or lost:
PALISADES CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL & ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Fox 11 showed images of the Palisades Charter High School campus as well as Palisades Charter Elementary completely engulfed in flames, including its baseball field, tennis courts, and classrooms that once inhabited local students.
A Fox 11 cameraman who went to the high school said on camera: “This is heartbreaking. This is my alma mater. The baseball field is totally gone, some of the buildings are gone.”
An eerie post on Instagram by @sdprod showed a recording of the school’s abandoned campus as fire alarms sounded in the distance and glowing embers blew around the buildings.
In a closure notice, Pali High stated it will provide updates regarding the start of the spring semester, scheduled for Jan. 14 via ParentSquare/StudentSquare. Students of Pali Charter Elementary and Marquez Charter Elementary were transported to Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet, as reported by LA Times.
THE GETTY VILLA MUSEUM
The Getty Villa Museum, home to one of the most magnificent collections of artifacts and antiquities from Rome and Greece, has mostly been spared from the flames so far, although it did confirm to news outlets on Tuesday that its grounds caught on fire.
The LA Times reported on a social media video that showed the flames approaching the Villa de Leon, a historic home near the museum’s driveway entrance.
“We, of course, are very concerned for our neighbors in the Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and the surrounding areas,” Fleming said in a statement late Tuesday afternoon, as reported by USA Today. “Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year.”
The museum and its staff were not harmed, according to a statement by the Getty, which will remain closed through Jan. 13.
PALISADES VILLAGE
The signature shopping center of the Palisades– Rich Caruso’s Palisades Village which opened in 2018 –suffered damage in the fire, Caruso confirmed with the LA Times, adding that several homes around Pali Village were “fully engulfed,”
Which shops have been scorched and the extent to the damage done to the shopping center is not known at this time.
THE REEL INN
Owners of The Real Inn– a beloved seafood restaurant whose towering sign was seen engulfed in flames in a recent online video –wrote in a social media post that they are“grateful for the 36 years we’ve been a part of the community. Grateful to all of our customers. We are heartbroken and unsure what will be left. Hopefully the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles.”
The restaurant, located at 18661 Pacific Coast Hwy, has been a seafood favorite for tourists and locals alike for over three decades, serving an array of choices such as halibut, sea bass, ahi tuna, trout and mahi-mahi.
