High winds brought and aggravated a destructive blaze in the Pacific Palisades area of Southern California on Tuesday, affecting more than 60400 people, including the families of Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
The fire, which began around 10:30 a.m. during a powerful Santa Ana windstorm, quickly spread through the hillside neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Homes in the affluent Pacific Palisades area, where many celebrities reside, were burned as more than 13,000 structures came under threat.
Officials reported that approximately 30,000 residents were ordered to evacuate, though the exact number of structures damaged or destroyed remains unclear.
Before the Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, Redick acknowledged, “I just want to acknowledge and send thoughts and prayers to everyone in the Palisades right now.”
“That’s where I live. Our family, my wife’s family, my wife’s twin sister, they’ve evacuated. I know a lot of people are freaking out right now, including my family. From the sound of things, with the winds coming [Tuesday night], I know a lot of people are scared. So I just want to acknowledge that. Thoughts and prayers for sure, and hope everybody stays safe,” Redick said before the Lakers’ 118-97 loss.The Lakers’ flight back to Los Angeles remained on schedule Tuesday night, although alternate routes were considered due to potential smoke-filled skies in the area.
The strongest Santa Ana winds in over a decade, were expected to intensify overnight, with gusts exceeding 100 mph in some mountain and foothill regions. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no injuries have been reported so far.
The wildfire also deeply affected Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, whose 90-year-old mother, Ann, was among the thousands evacuated from the Los Angeles area.
“I want to send my thoughts and condolences to everybody in Los Angeles dealing with the fires,” Kerr said after the Warriors’ 114-98 home loss to the Miami Heat, and added, “Everything I’m seeing and reading is just terrifying what’s happening down there.”
