California firefighters are battling wind-whipped wildfires tearing across the Los Angeles area. The blazes have destroyed homes, clogged roadways as tens of thousands fled and strained resources as officials prepared for the situation to worsen overnight. The flames from a fire that broke out Tuesday evening in the inland foothills northeast of the city are spreading so rapidly that staff at a senior living center had to evacuate dozens of residents. Another blaze that started hours earlier was ripping through the city’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood, a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences. In the flight to safety, roadways became impassable when scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.
