
As firefighters struggle to contain the Palisades Fire, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to extend the local emergency declaration issued by Mayor Karen Bass. The declaration was ratified unanimously in response to the “life-threatening, destructive, widespread windstorm and extreme fire weather system” affecting the region.
In addition to the declaration, the council approved a measure from Councilman John Lee that adds a provision to close open-space parks in high fire-hazard zones on future red flag days. Lee explained that a more detailed plan for park closures will be developed in the future, but the goal is to take immediate action to improve public safety during extreme fire conditions. “We’re asking that to be included as a measure to hopefully control and keep our parks safe,” Lee told a contributing editor to mynewsla.com on January 14, 2025.
The Palisades Fire, which began on January 7 amid intense Santa Ana winds, has burned nearly 24,000 acres as of Tuesday, with just 17% containment. Mayor Bass had initially approved the emergency declaration, but since she was overseas in Ghana, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, acting as mayor, signed the proclamation in her absence.
State and county officials have issued similar emergency declarations for the Palisades Fire and other fires in the region, including the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Several additional fires broke out within Los Angeles city limits, such as the Hurst Fire in Sylmar, the Woodley Fire in the Sepulveda Basin, the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills, the Sunswept Fire in Studio City, the Archer Fire in Granada Hills, and the Kenneth Fire in West Hills, which later spread into Ventura County.
According to Cal Fire, all fires except the Palisades, Hurst, and Eaton fires have been contained. Firefighters and residents are remaining vigilant, as strong winds are expected to return later this week. As of Tuesday, containment of the Hurst Fire was at 97%, and the Eaton Fire was 35% contained.
The emergency declaration allows the city to quickly allocate funds for emergency response, bypass normal budgeting and contracting processes, and implement immediate safety measures. Mayor Bass’ office also indicated that the declaration will help streamline recovery efforts and allow the city to request additional assistance from state and federal authorities.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors also ratified its own emergency proclamation and approved motions related to recovery efforts during its meeting on Tuesday.