At least three wildfires are burning out of control on the north side of the Los Angeles metro area, driven by dry conditions and extremely high winds.
The Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire tore through neighborhoods from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena, burning thousands of structures and claiming at least five lives so far.
Conditions fueling the fires, specifically the high winds, are making travel conditions dangerous as gusts over 50 mph overturn trailers on the highways.
The California Department of Transportation District 7 issued this statement via X about interstate closures due to both those high winds and the fire activity, which has jumped highways as fires move inland.
High winds and reduced visibility are also causing some slight delays at Los Angeles International Airport, but LAX air traffic control says to check with airlines for specific delays.
Forecasters at the LA National Weather Service office issued warnings for a “life-threatening and destructive windstorm” but say the strongest winds should end Wednesday morning. Gusts up to 35 mph are still expected through the weekend with conditions that support fire spread continuing as well.
