Another LA Wildfire Breaks Out In Hollywood Hills, Bringing Total To Six

Firefighters are responding to another brushfire in the Hollywood Hills that is threatening homes and other buildings along the scenic Runyon Canyon hiking trails. The Sunset Fire is threatening to become the latest major brushfire to devastate the Los Angeles area in recent days. The damage from the wildfire outbreak is being exasperated by strong Santa Ana winds, the worst in nearly a decade, which have hampered firefighting efforts and accelerated the flames.

Footage from the scene shows the fire casting an orange glow over the Hollywood Hills area as the flames traveled downhill. The fire was first reported in the 2300 block of North Solar Drive, between Runyon Canyon and Wattles Park, just west of the Hollywood Bowl music venue and the 101 Freeway. The fire’s location is located just north of some of the city’s busiest tourist areas, not far from the Hollywood sign, which officials have said is not in any danger as of this report.

In response, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) immediately issued an evacuation order for the densely populated area. As of 9 p.m. local time, the blaze had covered 50 acres after more than doubling over a period of two hours. Margaret Stewart, public information officer at LAFD, told local outlet KABC that emergency crews were dealing with a “very dynamic situation” due to the explosive “explosive fire” that was first reported on Wednesday afternoon.

Stained firefighters were seen responding with aerial fire suppressants in an effort to bring the sunset fire under control. Due to the high winds — which have downed trees and caused additional damage on their own — the fires plaguing Los Angeles County have been jumping erratically and expanding at rapid paces. Wind storms caused most aerial firefighting assets to ground on Tuesday and throughout parts of Wednesday, which has further complicated firefighting and rescue efforts. The city has asked for any available firefighters from surrounding regions to assist.

The Sunset Fire had burned more than 50 acres in Hollywood Hills as of 9 p.m. Western Time on Wednesday, January 6

NBC 4 Los Angeles reported that emergency crews were going door-to-door to check on residents along evacuation routes and at-risk areas. The crisis has caused gridlock across the entirety of the region’s major roadways as tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee. “We’ve lived here about 16 years, and this is the first time we’ve had to evacuate,” said Benjamin Vega, who was ordered to evacuate. “We definitely were not expecting a fire in my neighborhood tonight.”

The Sunset Fire is the sixth major brushfire to erupt in the Los Angeles area since the outbreak began on Tuesday afternoon. The first major inferno erupted in the Pacific Palisades area, prompting evacuations for nearly 30,000 residents. As of this report, the Palisades fire has burned more than 15,000 acres and has yet to be contained. In the Pasadena-Altadena area, the Eaton Fire has burned more than 10,000 acres and is likewise not showing any signs of slowing down.

Another blaze, which was dubbed the Hurst Fire, later erupted in the area around Sylmar on Tuesday night. As of this report, more than 1,100 homes, businesses and other buildings have been torched while at least five people have been killed across Los Angeles County. The five deaths occurred around Altadena and Pasadena, where the Eaton Fire’s rapid explosion gave residents little time to evacuate.

The California National Guard announced Wednesday evening that hundreds of military police are prepared to deploy to Los Angeles County in response to the devastating wildfires. The additional resources are expected to arrive within the hour in order to protect residents and property “through any means necessary,” according to a statement released via X. “As always, their efforts will be carried out under the direction of civilian authorities,” the statement concluded.

Fox News reported that the Cal Guard has already sent 600 service members and equipment to assist firefighting and police operations, including two hand crews assigned to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE), 10 rotary wing aircraft and two C-130 airplanes for wildland firefighting. Eight crews from Joint Task Force Rattlesnake will also be deployed to the area to assist CALFIRE.