Home / Editor's Pick /

Devil winds fan Malibu wildfires

13:00
11 December 2024

Evacuations since Tuesday
Devil winds fan Malibu wildfires

Firefighters tackle Wildfire in Los Angeles, next to a weather radar showing wildfire smoke visible on the map.Efforts to contain the blaze, smoke can be seen on the WeatherRadar. - © picture alliance

In the Californian coastal town of Malibu, flames from a forest fire have grown out of control, leading to damages and eviction notices.

A mandatory evacuation zone has been implemented, while evacuation warnings cover around 20,000 people as the blaze continues to be fuelled by winds. Thousands of residents have departed the affected areas.

Sections of the famous Pacific Coast Highway are closed, with multiple structures damaged amid power outages. More than 1,500 firefighters were operating to contain the blaze on Tuesday, but the threat remains.

Devil winds fuel the fire

The cause of the fire is currently unknown. However, the flames were fanned by strong Santa Ana winds and were able to spread quickly towards the coast.

Did you know?

The Santa Ana winds in Southern California, also known as the "devil winds", are foehn-like desert winds. In winter, temperatures in Los Angeles can rise to 30 degrees as a result.

It was only in November that a fierce forest fire - also fanned by Santa Ana winds - destroyed numerous houses in southern California.

Arabian desert turned winter wonderlandNovember cold snap

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Dense green forest with tall trees as bright sunlight streams through the canopy, casting long shadows across the leafy ground.
Sunday 21 December 2025

Winter solstice

Days start getting longer from now!
Split image showing a night-time UK precipitation radar on the left with snow and rain icons and blue bands, and a wind speed forecast on the right with colour-coded winds, mph labels, and a windsock icon, divided by a curved white line.
Wednesday 31 December 2025

Wet and windy for some

New Year's Eve outlook
Split image with wind radar showing gust of 108 mph on the left, and wind radar showing Hurricane Melissa over Jamaica on the right.
Thursday 1 January 2026

July to December

2025: The year in weather
All weather news
This might also interest you
Outline of Santa Claus with a yellow and white hat, "Ho-Ho-Ho" next to the outline above a Christmas tree.
Thursday 25 December 2025

Merry Christmas!

Wishes from Weather & Radar
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
Weather graphic showing rain and wind fields over the Canary Islands and a central warning symbol.
Friday 12 December 2025

Storm and rain

Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList