Palisades Fire Grows to 15,832 Acres, Over 1,000 Structures Estimated to be Affected

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

As Palisades fire grew to 15,832 acres with 0% containment on Wednesday, January 8, Los Angeles Fire Department estimated that over 1,000 structures were affected.

“While we are not yet able to conduct an assessment of structures damaged, based on the footprint of the burn area, it is estimated over 1,000 affected,” according to spokesperson Margaret Stewart.

One of the structures that was reached by the fire was Pierson Playhouse on Temescal Canyon Road.

“Too sad,” Theatre Palisades wrote on social media on Tuesday evening, January 7. “Our beloved Pierson Playhouse is gone but the heart of Theatre Palisades beats on. We will rise again.”

More than 1,100 personnel have been assigned to the incident, from LAFD and other agencies.

Evacuation orders remain in place: north to Mulholland Road, east to Kenter Road and south to Pacific Coast Highway. Westwood Recreation Center remained opened as an evacuation center.

The Palisades fire was first reported at 10:30 a.m. at 20 acres burning near 1190 N Piedra Morada Drive in The Highlands, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson David Ortiz.

By 12:23 p.m., the fire was estimated to be 200 acres, then updated to 770 acres at 2:23 p.m. As LAFD hosted a press conference around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday—where multiple government officials spoke—the fire was reported to be 1,200 acres.