This post was updated Jan. 8 at 12:52 a.m.

The National Weather Service issued a critical fire weather alert for Los Angeles County on Monday.

A fire in the Pacific Palisades – which began burning about six miles from UCLA on Tuesday morning – has since reached more than 2,900 acres, but it does not pose a risk to campus at this time, said UCLA Office of Emergency Management spokesperson Seán Devine. 

Critical fire weather warnings – known as red flag warnings – warn of potential extreme wildfire behavior, according to the NWS. 

A NWS “particularly dangerous situation” warning for potentially destructive conditions was also issued for the Santa Monica Mountains, which are near the UCLA campus. Warnings of this type can indicate fast-changing or uncommon weather conditions. 

In an emailed statement, Devine said high winds are forecast for Westwood through Friday afternoon, with the “gustiest” winds occurring Wednesday afternoon. 

Devine also said while the Pacific Palisades fire does not necessarily pose a threat to UCLA, the university is prepared to work with local fire departments to ensure community safety. Devine added that emergency instructions will be sent to students if needed via BruinAlert and could range from shelter-in-place orders to evacuations. 

“We strongly encourage staff, faculty, students and others on campus to familiarize themselves with building emergency exits, corresponding evacuation zones and, for those who drive to campus, UCLA’s Campus Traffic Evacuation Plan,” Devine said in the statement.

In a post on the social media platform X, UCPD said UCLA Emergency Medical Services has added an extra ambulance to today’s operations out of an abundance of caution.

LA Mayor Karen Bass instructed residents in a Tuesday press release to remain vigilant of changing weather conditions and use city resources to stay safe. Marqueece Harris-Dawson stepped in as acting mayor Tuesday.

“Power outages as a result of downed power lines, increased fire risk and falling trees and debris should be expected during this time,” Bass said in the press release.

Bass also said in an 8:46 p.m. press release that she declared a state of emergency in the City of LA and requested assistance from Gov. Gavin Newsom. She added in the release that people should expect winds to worsen overnight.

The Pacific Palisades fire was moving west toward the Pacific Ocean around 1 p.m., according to a statement at that time from LA District 5 Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky.

Yaroslavsky’s statement also said an evacuation shelter is being established at the Westwood Recreation Center, which is around one mile from the UCLA campus. 

A press conference addressing the fire was held at Will Rogers State Beach at 3:30 p.m.

During the conference, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said 30,000 people have been evacuated from a total of 10,000 households with no injuries.

A smoke column from the Pacific Palisades fire was visible from campus beginning around 11 a.m. The LA County Department of Public Health issued a smoke advisory for LA County at 6:13 p.m. 

Leslie Magallon and Aliya Sabater – who are front desk agents at Sproul Hall and Rieber Hall, respectively – said the buildings’ front desks are offering free N95 masks to students concerned about the respiratory risks the fire poses.

“We received those via the housing dispatch, and so if anybody feels like they have any health concerns regarding those fires, then we are available to provide masks,” Magellon said.

The original warning affecting UCLA was issued at 3:24 p.m. Monday and is expected to last until 6 p.m. Wednesday. A fire weather watch will remain in place throughout the week, according to a weather report from the NWS.

Residents should stay alert and exercise caution when doing anything that could spark a fire, the NWS added in its report. 

UCLA’s wildfire emergency procedures can be found online, and emergency notifications are available at the Bruins Safe Online webpage. 

Contributing reports by Gabrielle Gillette and Amanda Velasco, Daily Bruin staff.