Palisades Fire causes significant damage to Los Angeles-area schools
Multiple schools in the Pacific Palisades and Pasadena area have been destroyed due to wildfire.
Fire Weather Warnings return to Los Angeles, Ventura counties
Fire Weather Watches and Warnings have returned to Southern California as low relative humidity and strong Santa Ana winds will support rapid spread and erratic behavior of new or existing wildfires in the region.
LOS ANGELES – At least three schools in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles are among the estimated 1,000 structures that have been damaged or destroyed by the raging Palisades wildfire.
Marquez Elementary School, Palisades Charter Elementary School and Palisades Charter High School are all significantly damaged, a spokesperson with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) told FOX Weather.
![Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area]()
Image 1 of 3PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - JANUARY 8, 2025 - - The fire ravaged Palisades Elementary Charter School in Pacific Palisades on January 8, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
![Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area]()
Image 2 of 3PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - JANUARY 8, 2025 - - The fire ravaged Palisades Elementary Charter School in Pacific Palisades on January 8, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
![Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area]()
Image 3 of 3PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - JANUARY 8, 2025 - - A play area shoulders at the Palisades Elementary Charter School in Pacific Palisades on January 8, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
On Thursday, firefighters battling the fire at the Westside Waldorf School in Pacific Palisades were caught on video.
Fire crews battle flames at Westside Waldorf School in Santa Monica
The Westside Waldorf School, a preschool in the Pacific Palisades, was charred by the Palisades Fire. Fire crews could be seen trying to douse the remaining flames (Video Credit: FrancisLozano7/X).
A spokesperson for the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America confirmed to FOX Weather that the campus at the Westside Waldof Schools in the Pacific Palisades was lost.
The spokesperson confirmed that the Waldorf's kindergarten through eighth-grade campus in Pasadena was also lost. The preschool and high school campuses sustained less damage but are still uninhabitable.
"Thankfully, both schools report that their communities appear to all be safe, but many individuals have experienced devastating personal losses, including homes and possessions. Efforts from both schools, and from Waldorf communities across the United States, are underway to provide immediate support to affected families and staff," the spokesperson said.
LOS ANGELES METRO ENGULFED BY DEADLY APOCALYPTIC WILDFIRES FUELED BY HURRICANE-FORCE WIND GUSTS
Many other Southern California school districts closed for the remainder of the week as smoke and fire continued to plague much of Los Angeles and surrounding areas.
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA - January 08: Peter Duke takes a picture of Palisades Charter Elementary School during the Palisades Fire on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, in Pacific Palisades, CA.
(Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register / FOX Weather)
Pasadena Unified School District announced it would be closed through Friday because of the Eaton Fire and mandatory evacuations for many students within its district.
Nearby Glendale Unified School District also announced closures of all its schools through Friday due to wildfire response.
LAUSD said it would be working to secure relief funding for the schools affected by the wildfire.