Newsom proclaims state of emergency as Los Angeles fires grow

Millions of Southern California residents were placed under a red flag warning on Tuesday, as a dangerous windstorm threatens to spread fires in the Los Angeles area throughout the week.

The largest fire in the region is the Palisades Fire, which erupted on Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. It has already burned through nearly 1,200 acres at the time of publishing, and the city of Los Angeles has issued an evacuation order for the Palisades area.

California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the fire on Tuesday evening, and said his request for federal funding, which would cover 75% of local firefighting costs, was approved, per NBC News.

"I’ve proclaimed a state of emergency to support the communities impacted by the Palisades Fire," the governor posted on X. "Southern California residents: stay vigilant, take all necessary precautions, and follow local emergency guidance."

Another smaller brush fire is burning in the Hollywood Hills, according to NBC Los Angeles.

The National Weather Service has also issued a critical fire risk alert for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, ahead of the storm that is expected to begin Tuesday. The windstorm is expected to peak early Wednesday, and winds are projected to reach 60 mph and gusts could go as high as 80 to 100 mph in mountains and foothills.

Newsom on Monday said he would mobilize state resources to tackle the storm, including assigning 65 fire engines, seven water tenders, seven helicopters and 109 specialized workers to the mission.

“We are no strangers to winter-time wildfire threats, so I ask all Californians to pay attention to local authorities and be prepared to evacuate if told to go,” Newsom said.

The weather service also issued a stark warning ahead of the storm.

"Strong winds are coming. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation — in other words, this is about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather," the service said in a post on X.

The weather service said fire threats are expected to continue through Friday. The windstorm and fires come after the end of fire season in Southern California, which usually ends in October. However, a particularly dry and warm Santa Ana wind season, along with very low humidity has created the perfect conditions for spreading fire.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.