Wildfires have caused destruction and chaos in Los Angeles since Tuesday morning with five people confirmed dead thus far.
Wildfires broke out at 10:30am local time on Tuesday morning in one of the city’s residential districts.
The wildfire has covered more than 25,000 acres and destroyed over 1,000 buildings.
The latest blaze, given the name Sunset Fire, has reached the famous Hollywood Hills prompting further evacuations from the celebrity-ridden area.
Some families have taken the decision to flee to Las Vegas after the toxic fumes from the fire became so vicious that Americans in certain Californian regions have begun ‘struggling to breathe.’
While the Foreign Office is not specifically warning people not to travel to the west coast, they have urged those considering the journey to check the websites of local authorities in LA.
The UK Government website’s advice reads: ‘Fast-spreading wildfires are currently active within Los Angeles County.
‘Monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities.’
Many of LA’s major roads have been closed due to the fires including the Pacific Coast Highway between the McClure Tunnel and the Topanga Canyon.
The majority of flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport are still running as normal, though at least 60 flights into Burbank Airport were cancelled or delayed on Wednesday.
Burbank Airport posted on X: ‘Weather conditions are impacting various flight operations today. Check with your airline on the status of your flight before heading to LUR.’
At least five wildfires are currently ravaging through Los Angeles after more than two days of destruction.
The fires have been termed the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia and Sunset Fires.
The latter, the Sunset Fire, is situated in the Hollywood Hills and is reportedly heading for the famous Hollywood sign.
The majority of flights into and out of Los Angeles International Airport are still running as normal, though at least 60 flights into Burbank Airport were cancelled or delayed on Wednesday.
Burbank Airport posted on X: ‘Weather conditions are impacting various flight operations today. Check with your airline on the status of your flight before heading to LUR.’
Many in Los Angeles are choosing to flee the city amid fears the wildfires are heading their way, but also due to the toxic fumes which are causing residents difficulty with breathing.
If planning to evacuate, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has urged residents to plan on a safe place to meet other family members, know who to call and how to flee safely.
Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have stressed that all members of a household should be in agreement on a single plan.
After fighting fires for almost 48 hours, emergency services are now reportedly running out of water with which to combat the flames.
The Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills is only expanding, with the battalion chief of the Californian Fire Service, admitting that ‘zero’ progress has been made in attempts to extinguish the fires.
He added: ‘The wind has been blowing consistently at 60-100mph since yesterday morning.
‘‘It actually blew harder last night. it is still significant and because there are a lot of open areas it is extremely dangerous.’
Follow the Metro live blog for updates on the Los Angeles wildfires here.
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