It seems to go without saying that now is not an optimal time to be visiting Los Angeles. Due to a major Santa Ana windstorm, a total of four raging wildfires have broken out in Southern California since Tuesday, with gusts not expected to diminish until Thursday. And those arriving into the city on a flight Tuesday night got a front-row seat to the widespread destruction being caused.
In an Instagram Reel posted by CBS News on Wednesday, passengers aboard the incoming flight saw the out-of-control Palisades Fire blazing from their seat windows. In the short clip, the dull orange glow can be seen emanating from the hills surrounding the city, surrounded by plumes of smoke as the plane made its descent.
One traveler reportedly called the experience "eerie," which is putting it lightly, to say the least.
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As of Wednesday morning, the blaze had grown to nearly 3,000 acres with zero containment. The Los Angeles County Fire Department has said that more than 10,300 homes are threatened, and at least 30,000 residents have been forced to evacuate the affluent Pacific Palisades community. In addition to Palisades, fires have also sparked in Eaton, Hurst, and Woodley, which are likewise zero percent contained.
Exacerbating the wind gusts, which were recorded at 99 miles per hour on Mt. Lukens in the Eastern San Gabriel Mountains, per ABC News, are especially dry conditions in the area with relative humidity at less than 10 percent. The period of October through December marked the sixth-driest on record in Los Angeles last year
Extreme fire risk warnings have been issued from Malibu to Burbank, with a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" in place across Los Angeles through at least 4 p.m. on Wednesday. As such, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has warned residents to "heed local warnings, stay vigilant and stay safe."
