Is it safe to travel to LA right now? Latest travel advice amid ongoing wildfires

The sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles has bags of variety packed in, whether you’re hiking up to the Griffith Observatory or having a gander along Sunset Boulevard, gorging on food at Grand Central Market or taking a trip back to the silver screen era at the Academy Museum. 

However, parts of California’s largest city are being scorched by wildfires right now, which have raged through western LA and now reached famous landmarks, due to strong winds. As of Monday January 13, 40,000 acres have burned and 24 people have died so far, so here is everything you need to know if you have a trip booked.  

RECOMMENDED: These landmarks and restaurants are closed due to the LA wildfires

Is it safe to travel to Los Angeles?  

That depends on which part you’re going to. The wildfires, caused by almost hurricane-speed winds, low humidity and extremely dry vegetation, continued to burn over the weekend. Emergency services in LA are currently tackling three fires which CAL Fire estimates have destroyed 12,300 structures and killed at least 24 people so far. 

The fires were originally concentrated in northwest LA, but areas across LA County, including in the city near Sunset Boulevard, have experienced fires over the last week. The best way to stay up to date on weather warnings for the region is by checking the US National Weather Service website. 

A health emergency was declared on Saturday January 11 over the thickening smoke, with some water supplies contaminated and people warned not to swim in the sea due to contamination from the ash, according to the BBC. 

The Los Angeles Times have a live map of each of the three fires, which you can take a look at here. 

Which areas are affected by the wildfires in LA? 

The fires have put 150,000 people under evacuation orders, and ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to inland Pasadena. Here’s a breakdown of the fires that are burning right now, and the neighbourhoods they’re impacting, according to the BBC: 

• The Palisades fire is the largest active fire, with 23,713 acres between Santa Monica and Malibu burnt so far. It’s 13 percent contained right now. 
• The Eaton fire is the second largest, burning a 14,117 acre area north of Pasadena. It’s 27 percent contained
• The Hurst fire is north of San Fernando, and around 800 acres wide. It’s 89 percent contained. 

Other major fires which have burned over the last few days, and have since been extinguished, include the Sunset, the Kenneth and the Lidia fires. 

Have flights been cancelled? 

LAX’s website reads: ‘LAX is open and operating normally. Passengers should check their flight status directly with their airline.’

Flights are also continuing to arrive at LAX, but several airlines – such as United Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue – have issued waivers for customers who want to cancel or rearrange their trips, according to NewsWeek. You can also keep an eye on the status of arrivals and departures on FlightRadar24. 

What roads have been closed in LA?

The best way to stay up to date with the road closures in place in LA is to keep an eye on California Department of Transportation’s X (fka Twitter) feed. The latest update is here:

What is the UK Foreign Office saying? 

The FCDO has updated its travel advice page for the USA with the following message: ‘Fast-spreading wildfires are currently active within Los Angeles County. You should monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities. More detailed information can be found on CAL FIRE. If you are in need of consular assistance, you should call +1 310 789 0031 or visit Emergency help.  In the UK, call +44 (0) 20 7008 5000.’

What are your rights if you’ve booked a trip to LA? 

If you’re looking to cancel or reschedule your trip, you will need to contact your travel insurance provider directly to see what can be done – but it’s unlikely you’ll be eligible to get your money back, as travelling to LA has not been advised against by the government. 

More coverage by our team at Time Out LA

To make sure everyone in LA is up to date with the latest information, Time Out LA have been providing coverage on everything from the landmarks and restaurants that have closed due to the fires to the historic buildings which have been affected so far, and how others are protecting themselves. They’ve also compiled a comprehensive list of all the LA restaurants offering free meals to evacuees, which you can take a look at here:

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news.