In pictures: Tens of thousands flee Los Angeles wildfires
Residents flee homes as four out-of-control wildfires fuelled by hurricane-force winds tear through the US city's suburbs, destroying more than 1,000 structures and leaving two people dead.
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles, California. / Photo: Reuters
Wildfires have torn across the Los Angeles area with devastating force after setting off a desperate escape from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke.
More than 1,000 structures have been destroyed by wildfires so far, while two people were killed, the Los Angeles County fire chief said on Wednesday.
Tens of thousands of people, including world-famous actors, musicians and celebrities, fled their homes near the US city as four out-of-control wildfires fuelled by hurricane-force winds tore through the city's suburbs, destroying dozens of houses.
Palisades fire: West of Los Angeles, by the sea. It has burned about 11.6 square kilometres.
Eaton fire: Altadena area, north of Pasadena. It has burned about 4 square kilometres.
Hurst fire: In the San Fernando Valley. It has burned about 202 hectares.
Tyler fire: In Coachella, near Joshua Tree National Park. It has burned about 6 hectares.
All four fires are currently at zero percent containment, according to AP news agency.
Here are some images from the ground showing the intense battle against the flames.
"We have well over 5,000 acres that have burned, and the fire is growing," Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone tells reporters. "We have no percentage of containment. We have an estimated 1,000 structures destroyed."
"Unfortunately, we have two reported fatalities to civilians, unknown cause at this time, and we do have a number of significant injuries," Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone tells reporters.
A firefighter stands on top of a fire truck to battle the Palisades Fire while it burns homes on the Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm in Los Angeles.
More than 1,400 firefighters were on the ground, with hundreds more on the way, California Governor Gavin Newsom says. Firefighters are using bulldozers to push dozens of vehicles — including expensive models such as BMWs, Teslas and Mercedes — to one side, leaving many crumpled and with their alarms blaring.
The wind whips embers as the Palisades Fire burns during a windstorm on the west side of Los Angeles. US President Joe Biden says he was "being frequently briefed on the wildfires" and has offered "any federal assistance that is needed."
Embers fly off a burning bus at Aveson School of Leaders elementary school during the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County. The fire came as the area was being hit by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in a decade.
Frightened residents abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the 1,200-hectare blaze engulfing an area packed with multimillion-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains.
World-famous actors, musicians and celebrities were among the tens of thousands of people affected by terrifying wildfires tearing through Los Angeles.
Wildfires are an expected part of life in the US West and play a vital role in the natural cycle. But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns, making droughts longer and more intense, which creates the conditions for faster and more dangerous fires.
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