Over 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes after fast-moving wildfires have torn through Southern California, showing no signs of slowing down.
Fires swept through the affluent neighbourhoods of Pacific Palisades and Eaton on Tuesday evening, rapidly doubling in size as they were fanned by winds of over 100mph – the strongest the region has seen in over a decade.
Scenes from a highway on Palisades Drive saw traffic jams stretch for miles as people were desperate to escape the blaze. So many vehicles were abandoned on the roads that a bulldozer was brought in to push them aside and create a path for emergency vehicles.
Around 24,000 residents live in the affluent neighborhood west of downtown Los Angeles, which includes numerous celebrities and large mansions.
A mandatory evacuation order is in place in several areas throughout Los Angeles, with Governer Gavin Newsom declaring a state of emergency.
Do not stand in the way of this fire,’ said firefighter David Ortiz. ‘This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight.’
