Fast-moving wildfires threaten communities, force evacuations in Southern California

The Eaton fire burns in Sierra Madre, east side of Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 8. Photo: Associated Press

Editor’s note: This story will be updated as more information becomes available about the developing natural disaster in Southern California.

[Episcopal News Service] A series of wind-fueled California wildfires is devastating communities across Los Angeles County, where several Episcopal churches and schools are within the evacuation zones and others are serving as shelters for those fleeing the advancing flames.

Three of the most alarming fires on Jan. 8 were consuming houses and businesses and threatening other neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades, Sylmar and the foothill communities north of Pasadena. Winds in the region have registered as high as 100 mph, causing the fires to spread rapidly overnight Jan. 7.

Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor posted a late-night update to Facebook saying that St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Altadena and its school were evacuated, and the evacuation zones also affected members of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena and Church of the Ascension in Sierra Madre.

St Matthew’s Episcopal Church and school in Pacific Palisades also was evacuated, and clergy are sheltering with family and friends, according to Taylor. The head of school at St. Matthew’s “took vital steps in advance to protect the campus in the event of a wildfire,” he said. “Tuesday night, word came of some fire on campus. We’ll continue to monitor for news.”

All Saints has opened its doors as a shelter for those living in the evacuation zones. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in La Crescenta has done the same. The Rev. Melissa McCarthy, the Diocese of Los Angeles’ canon to the ordinary, said the emergency and danger have escalated rapidly.

“We are definitely in crisis mode. It’s all moving so fast,” McCarthy told Episcopal News Service in an email she sent from her home in Glendale as she decided early Jan. 8 whether to evacuate. Her neighborhood, west of Pasadena, wasn’t yet in a mandatory evacuation zone, but that could change as conditions worsen.

“I have a wall of smoke, ash and burning embers blowing my way and I’m not in a traditional fire zone,” McCarthy said. “It’s terrifying in terms of scale and speed. Like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

The powerful winds also have knocked down trees while causing power outages across the region. Southern California Edison has shut off power deliberately in some areas to prevent additional fires. Tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders, and those zones could continue to expand as the fires worsen. The wind is expected to slow during the day Jan. 8 but could pick up again later in the week.

More than 30 people sought shelter overnight at All Saints in Pasadena, according to a report by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

“It’s the strangest feeling,” evacuee Dorothy Clark, 88, told the Tribune after arriving at All Saints. “I’ve never ever had an experience that replicated in any way a wandering soul with no place to go. To go through this kind of experience was just a bit much more than I bargained for.”

As the Diocese of Los Angeles response to the needs of the communities where it serves, it has been receiving prayers and support from bishops and other leaders across The Episcopal Church. Taylor said California Bishop Austin Rios had contacted him offering prayers. San Diego Bishop Susan Snook did the same in a diocesan email.

“San Diego County experiences the same wildfire risk, with Santa Ana winds expected to peak today and several other times in coming days, and extremely dry conditions,” Snook said. “Today, we urge all churches, especially those in high-risk areas, to make sure they are prepared for fire danger.”

– David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.