L.A. Braces for More Devastation as Wildfires Rage Unchecked

 LOS ANGELES (KTLA) – More gusty winds were forecast for Thursday as fire crews struggled to gain containment on the 17,000-acre Palisades Fire: the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.

Authorities believe at least 1,000 structures, many of them homes, have been destroyed by fire, which first erupted Tuesday amid hurricane-force, dry Santa Ana winds in the area of North Piedra Morada Drive.

It quickly swept through residential and commercial districts in this affluent coastal community, prompting tens of thousands of people to flee.

Thursday morning, the fire was mapped at 17,234 acres with no containment. The cause remained under investigation.

More than 800 firefighting personnel, with the help of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, are battling the blaze. However, the same winds that fueled the fire have limited the use of aerial resources.

“Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire,” CalFire said in a bulletin. “Winds gusts up to 60 MPH are expected to continue through Thursday, potentially aiding in further fire activity and suppression efforts.”

The evacuation order extended throughout the Pacific Palisades to the Pacific Ocean and included areas of Santa Monica, Malibu and Topanga. Residents and businesses in Calabasas remained under an evacuation warning on Thursday.

With 1,000 structures destroyed, the Palisades Fire is already far more destructive than the second-most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history, according to statistics from the Wildfire Alliance, the Associated Press reported. Damage is believed to be in the tens of billions of dollars.

The last most destructive fire was the Sayre Fire in November 2008, which destroyed 604 structures in Sylmar.

The Palisades Fire was one of several large wildfires that have forced evacuations in the Los Angeles area this week. The Eaton Fire has claimed five lives and destroyed a still-undetermined number of homes in the areas of Altadena and Pasadena.

Also, thousands of residents fled their homes Wednesday evening when a fast-moving brush fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills. The Sunset Fire charred around 40 acres before crews gained the upper hand and lifted most evacuation orders around midnight.