A Catastrophe in the Palisades: Years of Neglect Culminate in an Evacuation Fiasco

Residents of Pacific Palisades have been asking for more comprehensive fire evacuation strategies for years. When a fire blazed through their locale this week, chaos erupted as the streets became impassable.

A Chaotic Exodus

As flames approached the Pacific Palisades region of Los Angeles, Marcia Horowitz and her spouse quickly jumped into their vehicle, hoping to head eastward away from danger. However, their plans changed when a police officer directed them west along Sunset Boulevard.

The couple soon found themselves in a gridlock. The street was clogged with residents in a frenzied state; cars barely moved. Emergency personnel instructed everyone to abandon their vehicles and make their way to the shore on foot.

“You wouldn’t have seen anybody leaving their car unless they were told, 'You must leave now,’” recalled Ms. Horowitz, 79, who left her purse behind as she heeded the urgent call to evacuate without delay.

Symbols of Desperation

Along the Pacific Palisades routes, deserted cars—many damaged from being bulldozed aside for emergency vehicles—became illustrations of Los Angeles's frantic efforts to confront one of its most devastating fires on record.

The chaotic evacuation was not unforeseen. Communities residing in the fire-susceptible hills encircling the Los Angeles basin have persistently called for improved preparedness as wildfires strike the region with increasing intensity and regularity.

Past Warnings Ignored

As recently as 2019, wildfires threatening Pacific Palisades highlighted the challenges of mass evacuations in an area with limited exit routes.

Those October 2019 fires put homes at risk and caused traffic congestion as residents scrambled to flee.