A fire official says a fire in the Hollywood Hills is “growing rapidly” after an evacuation order was issued following wildfires in Los Angeles.
California fire chief David Acuna told the BBC there was “no progress” in fighting the fires due to strong winds and dry conditions.
“The wind has been blowing at 60-100mph (95-160km/h) since yesterday morning,” said Acuna. “It really hit hard last night.”
At least five fires are raging across Los Angeles, and five people have been confirmed dead.
Wind speeds have dropped to around 30mph, but Acuna said “it's still significant and because there are so many open areas it's very dangerous”.
More than 130,000 people have already been forced to evacuate, and the homes of several celebrities – including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal – have been destroyed.
The first fire started on Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades area, near Malibu, and another is breaking out north of the city.
As of 20:15 local time (04:00 GMT), four fires in the Palisades, Pasadena, Sylmar, and Hollywood Hills areas covered more than 27,000 hectares (42 sq miles; 109 sq km) and were 0% contained, according to -LAFD.
One fire in the Acton area was partially contained, and the other two were completely contained.
The fire in Hollywood Hills – a residential area overlooking the city's historic Hollywood district – started around 18:00 local time on Wednesday.
Less than two hours later, much of the heart of Hollywood was shrouded in thick smoke, and the tops of the palm trees lining its streets could not be seen.
People used sweatshirts to cover their faces to help them breathe, while others – apparently stunned by the fire – wore only pajamas. Many carried bags and suitcases, talking on their phones as they made plans for where to go.
Many streets near the fire – including Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame – were jammed with traffic. Some people even drive to the side of the road as they try to get out of the area.
Resident Anna Waldman told the BBC that she had intended to walk her dog but inhaled smoke as soon as she stepped outside.
He went back inside again, looked out his back window, saw the fire, and watched as it quickly drove away and thought of the Hollywood Hills, coming within a block of his house.
She packed what she could: food, clothes, blankets, food for her three small dogs.
“I can't believe this,” he said wearily as he lowered his mask.
Makayla Jackson, 26, and her two-year-old son, Ramari, had been pulled from a shelter that was in danger of burning, and were now standing on the street waiting for a ride to the high school where help was being provided. people.
“They just said let's get out and go,” he said.
On Wednesday night, Sunset Boulevard, a popular stretch of West Hollywood, was left in ruins, according to reports from the LA Times.
Residents of the area told this newspaper that banks, restaurants and supermarkets that they have frequented for decades have been destroyed.
Michael Payton, who is the store manager of the Erewhon department store, said that the store, famous for its patronage by A-Listers from Los Angeles, survived but the place was renovated.
“The Palisades is done,” he told the newspaper, “The whole city is done. This is total devastation.”
Firefighters fighting the fire faced a shortage of water and had to take water from swimming pools and ponds.
Officials said three separate million-gallon tanks were full before the fire started, but the height of the fire meant the water could not move fast enough to get water pipes to the affected areas.
The city also rarely sees fires of this magnitude — the Palisades fire is already the most destructive in its history — and its systems are designed for urban use, not wildfire fighting.
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