Are LA fires affecting flights from Washington to southern California? Here’s what we know

Multiple fires has ravaged southern California this week, forcing over 100,000 people to evacuate. From businesses with offices in both states to people who have lived in both places, California and Washington share myriad connections.

That means a lot of travel happens between the Golden and Evergreen states. Whether you’re wondering if you’re flight will be canceled, or if it’s still safe to travel, here’s what you need to know.

Flights aren’t canceled, so far

If you’re flying to southern California and you’re wondering if your flight’s been canceled, chances are it hasn’t. Here’s a breakdown by airport.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

This time of year, Alaska Airlines offers seven regularly-scheduled daily flights between Seattle-Tacoma International and Los Angeles International Airport. The airline offers direct flights to three other Los Angeles area airports as well: Santa Ana, Burbank and Ontario.

In an email to McClatchy, a spokesperson for the airline said that there currently aren’t any plans to cancel flights and that the fires haven’t caused any disruptions to the flight schedule.

However, the airline knows that people traveling to the area right now may want to change their flights, and is offering a more flexible cancellation policy as a result. Tickets to the Los Angeles area through at least Jan. 9 can be changed without any additional fees or canceled in exchange for airline credit.

Delta Airlines, which also offers multiple nonstop flights a day between SEA Airport and LAX, told McClatchy it is taking the same steps as well.

While the majority of the flights between the two cities this week are on Alaska and Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines and Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines offer flights as well. Be sure to check your flight status before you go.

Tri-Cities Airport

Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco has daily nonstop flights to LAX on Alaska Airlines, which said its schedule hasn’t been affected by the fires. The airport is also serviced by Avelo Airlines, which runs a twice a week route to Burbank. As of Thursday morning, Avelo didn’t respond to McClatchy’s inquiry about potential changes to its flight schedule. You can check your flight status on Avelo’s website.

Bellingham International Airport

Allegiant Airlines, which has a direct flight from Bellingham to Los Angeles on Sundays and Thursdays, also plans to continue service as scheduled.

“Our operations command center is closely monitoring the wildfires near Los Angeles, California. We are making decisions as the weather event continues to evolve and new information becomes available. At this time, Allegiant’s operations at Los Angeles International Airport will continue as scheduled,” company spokesperson Hector Mejia told McClatchy in an email.

If you wish to change your travel plans, Allegiant is relaxing its cancellation policy for impacted trips.

“Our policy regarding severe weather incidents, including wildfires, is to provide customers with the option to either change their booking to another flight without incurring a fee or receive a voucher for future travel,” Mejia said.

What to know if you’re traveling to LA

The Palisades Fire is concentrated in northwest Los Angeles, meaning several common locations that might be of interest to visitors will be difficult to reach. Perhaps most notably for visitors, Malibu and the stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway leading up to it are impacted by the fires.

You can find a map of the Palisades Fire and evacuation zones on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention website.

To the east, the Eaton Fire has been burning just north of Pasadena. You can find a map of impacted areas and evacuation zones on Cal Fire’s website as well. Additionally, some smaller fires have been reported elsewhere as strong winds continue to spread the flames.

While those two fires have caused the majority of the destruction so far, high wind speeds mean there’s a chance that the fires spread. A smaller fire was recently reported in the Hollywood Hills.

Some notable points of interest, like the Getty Villa, a museum that houses ancient Greek and Roman art, and Topanga State Park, are directly in the evacuation zone. But some places that aren’t in the fire’s direct path could be closed as well, due to power outages, in order to prevent smoke inhalation or as a precautionary measure.

Several other points of interest, including The Griffith Observatory, the Los Angeles Zoo, Universal Studios Hollywood, and the Getty Center announced temporary closures. You can find a comprehensive list of closures at food and entertainment outlet TimeOut. Meanwhile, National Public Radio is maintaining a list of notable Los Angeles landmarks and their status during the fires.

Fire safety tips

If you’re visiting southern California and want to avoid exposure to the fires or wildfire smoke, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you do the following:

• Check the air quality in your area. An air quality index number below 100 means conditions are likely safe, although there is some risk for people who are sensitive to smoke as the number approaches 100. An air quality index number above 100 indicates risk for sensitive groups, while anything above 150 means there is risk for most groups, and anything above 200 means increased health risks for everyone in the area.

• If you’re indoors, have at least one room sealed off from outside air.

• Set up a portable air filter.

• If you go outside near a fire, wear a respirator.

• Pay attention to health symptoms, especially if you have asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, diabetes or are pregnant.

• Keep track of the fires near you and their spread.