Is It Safe to Travel to Los Angeles? What to Know About the LA Fires

Five major wildfires in Los Angeles County continue to burn out of control as of Thursday, January 9, 2025. The fires have prompted evacuation orders for at least 130,000 residents and have burned more than 2,000 buildings and homes. Five people have been reported dead.

Powerful Santa Ana winds have fanned the flames, collectively scorching more than 20,000 acres as of Thursday morning according to the LA County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest Service.

“We are absolutely not out of danger yet, with the strong winds that continue to push through the city and the county today,” Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristen Crowley said at a press conference Wednesday morning. Extreme gusts up to 60 mph are expected to continue through Thursday, the fire department said on X. The Santa Ana winds could see another uptick on Friday, with a lull expected on Saturday, The Weather Channel reports, noting that they will likely return early next week.

If you have a trip planned to Los Angeles, here’s what to know about the LA fires—including the neighborhoods affected and how flight operations are being impacted.

This is a developing news story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

Where are the LA fires?

There are five main LA fires right now. The largest, the Palisades fire, first broke out around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7. It currently spans 17,234 acres in the Pacific Palisades region (located west of Los Angeles between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean) and is 0% contained. Santa Monica has issued an evacuation order for residents living north of Montana Avenue from the beach to 11th Street and all areas north of San Vicente Boulevard.

The second-largest fire, the Eaton fire, broke out later Tuesday evening around 6:18 p.m in Eaton Canyon, an area north of Pasadena near Altadena. It grew rapidly and now covers 10,600 acres acres. Both the Palisades fire and Eaton fire remained at 0% containment as of Thursday morning.

On Tuesday around 10:30 p.m., the Hurst fire began in San Fernando Valley. It currently spans 855 acres and is 10% contained as of Thursday morning. The Lidia fire, covering 348 acres in Acton, started Wednesday at 2:07 p.m., and was 40% contained as of Thursday morning.

The Sunset fire, the smallest of the five, began at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday night near Runyon Canyon Park north of West Hollywood, and has burned 43 acres. Conditions have since improved, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the Sunset fire evacuation order was partially lifted as of Thursday morning.

“The fires remain active, and the safety of residents, visitors, and first responders in the affected areas is our highest priority,” the Los Angeles Tourism Board said in a statement shared with Condé Nast Traveler. “We urge everyone to stay informed through the Los Angeles Fire Department for the latest evacuation updates and to follow all warnings and evacuation orders from first responders.”