Three active wildfires started in Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, burning across thousands of acres and spurring tens of thousands of evacuations. Here are four things to know about the wildfires and their effects on hospitals in the city.
1. The wildfires. The largest wildfire, the Palisades fire, broke out in the west Los Angeles Palisades community the morning of Jan. 7 and has burned more than 17,000 acres, according to California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It has already become the most destructive in Los Angeles' history. The Eaton fire has burned 10,600 acres on the city's north, while the Hurst fire has spread across 855 acres in the county's northwest region. Three additional smaller blazes, the Woodley fire, Lidia fire and Sunset fire, started Jan. 8, burning through 30, 348 and 43 acres, respectively.
2. The damage. At least five people have died in the fires, and more than 2,000 buildings have been destroyed, according to The New York Times. In some parts of the county, the fires have consumed entire neighborhoods. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said about 32,500 residents were under evacuation orders, as of Jan. 8, and more than 13,000 structures were at risk, according to The Washington Post. Nearly 400,000 people in California had lost power as of the morning of Jan. 8, the majority located in the Los Angeles area, the Times reported.
"This is going to be devastating, a devastating loss, for all of Los Angeles," Traci Park, a Los Angeles city councilwoman, told the Times.
3. Containment efforts. As of Jan. 9 at 7 a.m. CST, the Palisades, Eaton and Sunset fire were at zero containment, according to CalFire. The Hurst fire was 10% contained and the Lidia fire 40% contained. Firefighters have faced challenging conditions, including low water supplies and strong winds that have grounded helicopters. President Biden issued a major disaster declaration for the state Jan. 8, freeing up immediate funds and resources to aid in recovery efforts, including additional firefighting personnel and equipment. The government is sending five large airtankers to the county, each of which can carry up to 4,000 gallons of water or fire retardant, along with 10 firefighting helicopters and dozens of fire engines from the U.S. Forest Service.
4. Immediate effects on hospitals. Hospitals in the county remain operational, though several health systems have shuttered clinical locations and physician offices in affected areas. UCLA Health has closed 11 clinics until further notice, according to a Jan. 8 statement on its website. The system said it is closely monitoring the wildfires and related public safety utility shutoffs.
Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai has postponed nonemergent procedures Jan. 9-10 due to the Palisades fire, which is close to its Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey campuses and affecting staff members. "In doing so, we are looking out for our patients in greatest need as we confront extraordinary and fast-moving conditions," the system said in a Jan. 8 statement on its website. The system also closed several outpatient offices in evacuation areas, along with some offices outside of evacuation areas affected by power outages or other weather-related challenges.
Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health also confirmed its hospitals were operational and that no patient evacuations have occurred. The hospital's Glendale campus is located near the Eaton fire on the county's east side and has temporarily closed a clinic in the area. The system said some elective procedures may be rescheduled for a later date, though no widespread cancellations are expected.
"My heart goes out to those impacted by the wildfires across L.A. County," Adventist President and CEO Kerry Heinrich wrote in a Jan. 8 LinkedIn post. "I'm thankful that, at this time, our local hospitals remain open and fully operational, ready to provide care and support to those in need."