On the 7th, strong gusts swept through the Los Angeles (LA) area, the largest city in the western United States, keeping residents awake all night. On that afternoon, wind speeds in the LA area were estimated to reach up to 100 miles per hour in some regions. Weather authorities warned that such hurricane-level winds could cause power lines to snap or overturn large trucks, trailers, and RVs on the freeway.

As the strong winds continued, a wildfire broke out in the Pacific Palisades area, located on the coastal hills. According to California fire authorities, the fire, which started around 10:30 AM, rapidly spread due to the fierce winds, reaching an affected area of 772 acres (3.12㎢) in about three hours. By 4:14 PM, approximately six hours later, the fire had expanded to 1,262 acres (5.1㎢), larger than the area of Yeouido (4.5㎢).

The LA Fire Department reported that around 10,000 households, totaling about 26,000 residents, were put at risk and received evacuation orders due to the fire. According to U.S. media, including the AP, President Joe Biden was scheduled to attend an event announcing the establishment of a new national monument in Riverside County, east of LA, but this schedule was postponed due to the strong winds in the area.

According to CNN, 'Southern California Edison,' the company supplying electricity to the LA area, began proactively cutting power to about 8,600 households (including commercial facilities) that day due to fire risks. The company also stated that it is considering cutting power to an additional approximately 400,000 households.

The strong winds, known as 'Santa Ana,' are localized gusts that blow from the Sierra Nevada mountains to the California coast, occurring frequently in the fall and winter. Experts analyzed that there has been no rainfall of more than 2.5㎜ in the southern California region, including LA, since early May, and the ongoing dry conditions are further increasing the wildfire risk. Due to the large wildfires in LA, most school districts in LA County announced school closures today (the 8th).

The 18 unified school districts in LA County, including Glendale, La Cañada, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Arcadia, and Santa Monica Malibu Unified School Districts, announced that they would have temporary school closures on the 8th.

The LA Unified School District stated that only some schools would be closed today.

In the LA Unified School District, Topanga Elementary Charter, Woodland Hills Academy, Palisades Elementary School, Brent Magnet, Marquez Charter Elementary School, Diego Rivera Learning Complex, and University High School will have temporary closures today.