The Palisades Fire reached Malibu late Tuesday night, bringing devastation along the Pacific Coast Highway with no sign of slowing down as it moves west and north. It’s a disaster likely to only get far worse overnight, thanks to the worst Santa Ana winds in more than a decade.
The full extent of damage now being inflicted by the fire isn’t known, and likely won’t be for days. But in Malibu, the flames leaped from side to side of PCH, burning homes and businesses, and at least three historic institutions are now gone: Reel Inn, Cholada Thai and Rosenthal Winery.
In a post to Instagram, the owners of Reel Inn said they are “heartbroken” and “are unsure what will be left.”
Several miles west of Reel Inn, burn victims and other evacuees gathered at the iconic Duke’s Malibu restaurant, which is closed but as of this writing not reported damaged by the fire.
In harrowing video obtained by TheWrap, eyewitnesses captured the destruction in Malibu firsthand:
In a cruel convergence, the Palisades Fire that began late Tuesday morning is just one serious threat besieging the region. Early Tuesday evening, another fire erupted in Eaton Canyon near Altadena that as of this writing has burned more than 400 acres and sparked its own mandatory evacuations. And around 10:15 p.m., a wildfire erupted in Sylmar, burning at least 50 acres and spreading.
A growing number of school districts in the afflicted areas are now closed on Wednesday, among them Los Virgenes Unified, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified, Pasadena Unified, Arcadia Unified, Glendale Unified and Burbank Unified.
In a statement posted to social media Tuesday night, President Joe Biden said, “I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire. Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs. My Administration will do everything it can to support the response.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency earlier in the day, as did officials from the city and county of Los Angeles.
