January 2025 Southern California Fires - Day 2

Santa Ana Winds Drive Major Wildfire Growth in Southern California

1/8/2025 – 8am.

Two large fires started in Southern California during a strong Santa Ana windstorm on Tuesday, January 7. They are the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire. They had burned about 30,000 acres, combined, by Wednesday morning. In this morning’s report (below) I share maps I made of my best guess at the latest perimeter of each fire. The Palisades Fire is threatening to spread in multiple directions, including towards Malibu and towards the 101.

Lookout Livestream – Morning Report

The Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire started above Pacific Palisades at about 10:30 in the morning, and quickly spread to the west into urbanized areas, this fire burned intensely through the day, and by the evening, had spread About halfway to Malibu and southward toward Santa Monica. At sundown, the fire was approaching Will Rogers State Historic Park, and a finger of fire had shot westward down Temescal Canyon to the Pacific Ocean.

Palisades Fire – Rough estimate of perimeter at 7am, 1/8/2025 – The fire is down to the Pacific Coast Highway, all the way from Eastern Malibu to Santa Monica.

Approximate Fire Area Maps of Palisades Fire
Estimated from 2am satellite heat detections and 7am webcam angles.
NOT OFFICIAL FIRE INFORMATION!

The Palisades Fire has reached the Franklin Fire scar, from earlier this fall. Estimated fire perimeter in red – based on satellite heat detections, may be inaccurate.

Topanga Canyon Area – Estimated fire perimeter in red – based on satellite heat detections, may be inaccurate.

Eastern Flank of Palisades Fire. Estimated fire perimeter in red – based on satellite heat detections, may be inaccurate.

Rustic Canyon Area – Estimated fire perimeter in red – based on satellite heat detections, may be inaccurate.

Overnight, the Palisades Fire grew to about 20,000 acres, and as of 7am, stretches from Malibu on the north – where it has burned into the recent scar of the Franklin Fire – down to about San Vincente Boulevard, in Santa Monica, where it has burned the entire Rustic Canyon area and the Will Rogers State Historic Park.

The north end of the fire is uncontrolled and burning towards Topanga. The fire is down to the Pacific Coast Highway, all the way from Malibu to Santa Monica.

The winds have been predominantly out of the northeast, so fire spread towards Brentwood and the Getty area and the 405 has been slower, but fairly steady.

The Eaton Fire

The other major fire that started on Tuesday is the Eaton Fire, which started at the base of the mountains, just outside of Altadena. As of about 8pm last night, the fire had not entered Altadena and was spreading toward Mount Wilson in the Angeles National Forest. However, by 2am the fire had grown to about 10,000 acres, climbing well into the heights of the Angeles National Forest, toward Mt. Wilson, and also burning several thousands acres and many homes and commercial buildings in the urban areas of Altadena and the Kinneloa Mesa. As of about 7am the Eaton Fire was 10,000 acres.

Eaton Fire – Near Pasadena, estimated perimeter shown in purple – 10,000 acres at 7am, 1/8/2025.

Approximate Fire Area Maps of Eaton Fire
Estimated from 2am satellite heat detections and 7am webcam angles.
NOT OFFICIAL FIRE INFORMATION!

2am satellite heat detections are red squares – *these are often inaccurate in urban areas.*

2am satellite heat detections are red squares – *these are often inaccurate in urban areas.* – estimated 7am perimeter in darker red.

Other Fires

Another fire has started near Santa Clarita. This fire was approximately 800 acres at 2am, and had not crossed the 210 freeway to the south or Interstate 5 to the west.

Other miscellaneous, small fires have started with the strong winds. However, these two are the by far the largest.

Weather Forecast

The Santa Ana wind conditions are continued to are expected to continue through today and begin to slack later today, Wednesday. The strongest winds of this event are expected to be through this early this afternoon. On Thursday, the winds will be more northerly, and still strong, but gusts are forecast to be lower, at around 35 miles an hour compared to gusts of 60 miles an hour, today.

Fire Weather Forecast for CAZ369
CAZ369-370-081245-
Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area-
Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area-
Including the cities of Malibu Bowl and Topanga
341 PM PST Tue Jan 7 2025

…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM PST THURSDAY…
…FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON…

.TONIGHT…
Sky/weather………Clear.
Min temperature…..46-55.
24 hr trend……Little change.
Max humidity……..25-35 percent.
24 hr trend……Down 22.
20-foot winds…….Very windy.
Valleys………Northeast 30-40 mph with gusts to 65 mph in the
evening becoming 35-45 mph with gusts to 70
mph.
Ridges……….Northeast 30-45 mph with gusts to 70 mph in the
evening becoming 35-50 mph with gusts to 80
mph.
LAL……………..1.
CWR (>0.10 in)……0 percent.

.WEDNESDAY…
Sky/weather………Sunny.
Max temperature…..68-73.
24 hr trend……Up 6.
Min humidity……..8-11 percent.
24 hr trend……Down 8.
20-foot winds…….Windy.
Valleys………Northeast 30-40 mph with gusts to 60 mph.
Ridges……….Northeast 30-40 mph with gusts to 60 mph.
LAL……………..1.
CWR (>0.10 in)……0 percent.

.WEDNESDAY NIGHT…
Sky/weather………Clear.
Min temperature…..46-55 except 39-44 colder valleys.
Max humidity……..20-40 percent.
20-foot winds…….Breezy.
Valleys………North 20-30 mph with gusts to 45 mph in the
evening becoming 10-20 mph with gusts to 30
mph.
Ridges……….North 20-30 mph with gusts to 45 mph in the
evening becoming 10-20 mph with gusts to 30
mph.
LAL……………..1.
CWR (>0.10 in)……0 percent.

.THURSDAY…
Sky/weather………Sunny.
Max temperature…..65-75.
Min humidity……..12-20 percent.
20-foot winds…….
Valleys………North 15-25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.
Ridges……….North 15-25 mph with gusts to 45 mph.
LAL……………..1.
CWR (>0.10 in)……0 percent.