Eaton Fire Explodes To Nearly 3,000 Acres, Destroys Homes, 2 Dead

For the latest updates on the Eaton Fire Wednesday click here: Eaton Fire: 2 Dead, Thousands Evacuated, 100 Buildings Destroyed

UPDATE as of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday:

As of 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, Cal Fire reported the fire was about 3,000 acres and was 0% contained. Two people have died in the fire, and two people have been arrested on suspicion of looting. An estimated 100 structures have been destroyed. Patch will update this story as more details become available.

ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:

ALTADENA, CA — A fast-moving brush fire broke out in the Eaton Canyon area Tuesday and quickly exploded to 1,000 acres amid powerful Santa Ana winds. The blaze dubbed the Eaton Fire, spread so rapidly that staff at a senior care center had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot where they waited in their bedclothes for ambulances and other vehicles to take them to safety.

It forced evacuation orders for the hills above Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and Arcadia. It quickly destroyed homes Tuesday night, but it wasn't immediately clear how many structures were destroyed.

There were multiple reports of crews responding to people who were trapped within the burn area, but there were no reports of any injuries.

The fire was reported at about 6:20 p.m. near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the Altadena foothills, according to Cal Fire.

"High winds are driving rapid fire growth, posing a significant threat to nearby communities and making containment efforts challenging," CalFire reported. "Firefighters are working aggressively to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure under extreme conditions. The combination of low humidity, dry fuels, and shifting winds has heightened the potential for spot fires and rapid expansion. Residents are urged to remain alert and follow instructions from local authorities as the situation evolves."

Conditions are expected to worsen overnight as gusts in the San Gabriel Mountains and foothills are expected to reach gusts as high as 100 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Shortly after 8 p.m., firefighters had to ground their water and fire retardant-dropping helicopters at both the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires due to powerful wind gusts, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

As of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, mandatory evacuation orders were in place for issued for the area north of New York Drive, east of Altadena Drive and west of Sierra Madre Villa Avenue, according to Angeles National Forest officials. Authorities were working to establish an evacuation center.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS

As of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday residents in the following areas are ordered to evacuate:

All residents living north of Sierra Madre, east of Allen and west of Santa Anita Drive
North of New York Drive, East of Altadena Drive, West of Sierra Madre Villa Ave
East Altadena Dr
Kinneloa Canyon Rd
Outpost Lane
Glen Springs Rd
Coolidge Ave
Miranda
Roosevelt Ave
Veranda
Kenclare
Fox Ridge Dr
Canyon Close Rd
Grand Oaks Ave

Evacuation Shelters

• El Camino Real Charter High School 5440 Valley Circle Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

• Pasadena Convention Center 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101

• Westwood Recreation Center 1350 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Animal Evacuation Shelters

• Los Angeles Equestrian Center 480 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91506

• Pierce College Equestrian Center 7100 El Rancho Drive, Woodland Hills

• Agoura Animal Care Center 29525 Agoura Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301

It was unclear how many people were impacted by the orders.

The Terraces at Park Marino, a senior center in Altadena, has been evacuated due to the Eaton Fire, leaving many residents stranded in a parking lot near a 7-Eleven. Several medical vehicles and buses are being used to move the seniors out of the area. According to CBS, authorities used a SWAT bus to quickly get people out of danger.

Crews from the U.S. Forest Service, Los Angeles County and Pasadena were working to slow the flames.

Crews were also working to protect what was described as 150 pounds of chlorine gas cylinders stored within the fire area by the Pasadena Water and Power Department.

The fire broke out as emergency crews were already stretched thin due to a massive blaze burning in the Pacific Palisades area.

As a result of the fire, classes were canceled Wednesday for schools in the Pasadena, Glendale, Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada, Burbank, Arcadia and Monrovia unified school districts.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.