Living in the Palisades is basically a dream until the Santa Ana winds start kicking up and the brush gets that brittle, bone-dry crunch. If you’ve been refreshing your browser looking for a pacific palisades fire map, you’re likely trying to figure out if that plume of smoke on the horizon is a "pack your bags" situation or just a small brush fire the LAFD already has a handle on.
Honestly, the map isn't just a bunch of red lines; it’s the difference between a calm Tuesday and a frantic scramble down Sunset Boulevard. Right now, in early 2026, we are still feeling the echoes of the massive January 2025 Palisades Fire. That blaze was a monster. It burned over 23,000 acres, destroyed more than 6,000 structures, and changed how every person from the Highlands to the Alphabet Streets looks at a digital map.
Where to Find the Most Accurate Pacific Palisades Fire Map
Don't just Google "fire map" and click the first thing you see. You need the stuff the pros use.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) maintains the gold standard. Their interactive fire zone map is where the "Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones" are marked. But when there’s an active burn? You want the LAFD News and Information portal. They drop real-time pins that show exactly where the head of the fire is moving.
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Genasys Protect (Formerly Know Your Zone)
This is the one that actually saves lives. During the 2025 disaster, thousands of people relied on the zone-based system to see if their specific block was under a "Warning" or an "Order."
- Zone LOS-Q0762-A: If you see this highlighted on your phone, you don't wait.
- Resident-Only Access: Often, maps will show a yellow tint. That means you can go home, but you’d better have your ID ready for the LAPD checkpoints.
CAL FIRE Incident Map
For the big picture, the CAL FIRE incident page is the place. It gives you the "Perimeter Map." This is different from an evacuation map. The perimeter map shows where the fire has been, while the evacuation map tells you where the fire is going. Knowing the difference is huge.
The 2025 Palisades Fire: A Warning for 2026
We can't talk about current maps without mentioning the arson-caused fire from January 2025. It was a wake-up call. The fire started southeast of Palisades Drive and, thanks to 100 mph winds, it didn't just stay in the hills. It marched toward Mandeville Canyon and forced over 100,000 people out of their homes.
I remember looking at the NASA satellite maps back then. The black carbon dispersal was so thick it showed up on air quality maps as far as Arizona. Today, if you look at a pacific palisades fire map that includes "Burn Scars," you’ll see huge swaths of the Santa Monica Mountains that are still recovering.
Why does a 2025 map matter in 2026? Because "burn scars" mean mudslides.
Mudslides: The Map After the Map
In February 2025, just weeks after the fire was 100% contained, the maps changed again. They weren't tracking flames; they were tracking rain. Areas like the Getty Villa, the Highlands, and Bienveneda were placed under new evacuation orders because the hills had no vegetation left to hold the dirt.
If you are looking at maps today, pay attention to the LA County Recovers damage assessment layers. They show exactly which properties were red-tagged. It’s a sobering look at the $25 billion in damages that single event caused.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Maps
People tend to look at a map and think, "The fire is three miles away, I'm fine."
That’s a dangerous gamble in the Palisades. Embers can travel miles ahead of the actual flame front. In the 2025 fire, embers jumped across canyons faster than the fire engines could drive. If the map shows an Evacuation Warning (Yellow) for your area, treat it like an Order (Red).
How to Read the Colors
- Red: Mandatory Evacuation. Leave now. No, really.
- Yellow: Evacuation Warning. Your car should be packed, nose out in the driveway.
- Green/Clear: Normal. But keep your ears open for the sirens.
Actionable Next Steps for Palisades Residents
If you’re staring at a pacific palisades fire map right now because things look "ashy" outside, here is what you actually need to do:
- Bookmark the Right Pages: Save the LAFD News Blog and the Genasys Protect site to your phone's home screen.
- Check the Wind: Use an app like Windy. Fire in the Palisades is a wind story. If the wind is blowing "Offshore" (from the land to the ocean), the canyons become chimneys.
- Identify Your Zone: Go to the LAFD site today—not when the fire starts—and find your zone number (e.g., LOS-0767-G). Write it on your fridge.
- N95 Masks: Keep a box in your "Go Bag." Even if the map says you're safe from flames, the air quality in the Palisades can hit "Hazardous" levels in minutes.
- Register for Alerts: Sign up for NotifyLA. It’s the official emergency alert system that sends texts based on your geographic location.
The reality is that 96% of properties in Pacific Palisades have a "Major Risk" of wildfire over the next 30 years. The maps are going to be a part of our lives for a long time. Use them as a tool, but trust your gut—if it smells like smoke and the wind is howling, don't wait for a map to turn red before you get your family to safety.