Palisades Fire Rages, but effects on Culver City still minor

The skies above Culver City are tinted with smoke as the fire in the Pacific Palisades rages on.

A state of emergency has been declared in California and the California National Guard has been mobilized, but Culver City residents can feel at ease as the blaze still presents a minimal threat to the city.

The Palisades Fire was first reported at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and exploded to over 11,800 acres as of 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. It is expected to be one of the most costly fires in American history, having destroyed an estimated 1,000 structures as of Wednesday morning in an area with a median home price of around $4.6 million.

Culver City Mayor Dan O'Brien released a statement Wednesday morning ensuring residents that city staff is monitoring the fire and the threat to Culver City is currently minimal.

"At this time, the effects in Culver City have been relatively minor," the statement reads. "There are no active fire threats to the City of Culver City."

Some residents in Culver City have reported loss of power in the Hayden Tract, and multiple traffic signals also went out Tuesday night, leading to the Culver City Police Department to issue traffic warnings.

CCPD also assisted Santa Monica Police with helping some of its residents evacuate. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were also forced to close due to the fires on Wednesday, with Malibu sitting just about 10 miles away from Pacific Palisades.

Three Culver City Fire Department trucks have also been deployed to directly assist with tackling the fire, according to the Culver City Firefighters Association.

For those who want to go outside, be mindful of the air quality. The high levels of smoke combined with high winds have led to an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 185, which is considered very unhealthy, according to Accuweather.

To track the fire's progress, visit the Cal Fire webpage on the fire here.