According to the latest data (Jan. 12) from the Los Angeles Fire Dept, the Palisades wildfire has claimed nearly 24,000 acres of land. This is equates to 37.5 square miles being consumed.
Officials say the fire started Tue. Jan. 7 at 10:30 a.m.
To put this fire into perspective for those in the Eastern U.P., the area of Sault Ste. Marie (city limits) is around 20 square miles. Fifteen square miles of that is land, the rest is water.
The Palisades fire would have leveled the land area of the city two-times over.
Sugar Island Township has just over 76 square miles. Forty-nine square miles are land.
The Palisades fire so far, as of Jan. 12, would have consumed 80 per cent of Sugar Island Township.
Neebish Island has 21.5 square miles of land. It is a part of Soo Township.
The Palisades fire would have already consumed Neebish Island nearly twice-over.
Drummond Island Township is much larger with 249 square miles total, of which 129 square miles are land.
The Palisades fire would have already consumed one-third of the township.
Evacuation orders for the Palisades Fire have expanded as it sweeps east and threatens Brentwood and Encino. It is 11 per cent contained.
Fire officials are responding to at least three fires in the region, including the Eaton, Hurst and Palisades fires. They have spread to roughly 37,316 acres combined. The Palisades fire is the largest of the three.
Sadly, there have been 16 confirmed deaths from the fires, including 11 attributed to the Eaton fire and five attributed to the Palisades fire, according to a County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner update released on Saturday evening.
