Wildfires hit Los Angeles as hurricane-strength wind gusts spread flames

Dangerous wildfires have been tearing through Los Angeles County, fanned by hurricane-strength wind gusts, reports say.

Four life-threatening fires have been reported across LA, the largest of which has hit Pacific Palisades, leaving tens of thousands of people under evacuation orders, CNN reports.

Los Angeles’ Mayor Karen Bass has warned wildfire conditions are “expected to worsen” throughout Wednesday morning (Jan. 8).

The blaze has reportedly resulted in people abandoning their cars in the neighborhood between Malibu and Santa Monica, while heavy traffic has slowed evacuations.

State of emergency

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the Pacific Palisades yesterday after the wildfire engulfed more than 2,900 acres.

The fire was first reported at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday (Jan. 7) and quickly grew while fuelled by one of the strongest Santa Ana wind events to hit Southern California in the last decade.

The Palisades Fire, which broke out near the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, has burned at least 2,921 acres, forcing at least 30,000 people to evacuate, reports show.

The Eaton Fire in the northeast has burned at least 2,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders for over 52,000 residents. In the north, the Hurst Fire grew to 500 acres in just four hours.

"This is a highly dangerous windstorm that's creating extreme fire risk – and we're not out of the woods. We're already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes," Gov. Newsom said in a statement. "Our deepest thanks go to our expert firefighters and first responders who jumped quickly into fighting this dangerous fire. If you're in Southern California, please pay attention to weather reports and follow any guidance from emergency officials."

The declaration of emergency will allow for "local, state, and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75 percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs," Newsom's press release said.

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