California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for the Pacific Palisades after a massive wildfire erupted on Tuesday, quickly growing to engulf more than 2,900 acres and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate, APA reports citing CBS News.
The fire was first reported at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and quickly grew to engulf hundreds of acres while fueled by one of the strongest Santa Ana wind events to hit Southern California in the last decade.
By 6:30 p.m. Los Angeles Fire Department crews said that the blaze had engulfed more than 2,900 acres with room to continue its growth as the winds remained a threat through Thursday evening.
Gov. Newsom was on hand in Los Angeles at a press conference with local officials as they discussed the severity of the fire, paired with the windstorm.
"This is a highly dangerous windstorm that's creating extreme fire risk – and we're not out of the woods. We're already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes," Newsom said in a statement.
The declaration of emergency, which was secured through approval from the Federal Emergency Management Assistant Grant, will allow for "local, state, and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75 percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs," Newsom's release said.
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