California declares state of emergency with more than 30,000 ordered to evacuate as wildfire rips through LA

7 January 2025, 22:06 | Updated: 8 January 2025, 08:19

A state of emergency has been declared as wildfires rip through a residential area of Los Angeles popular among celebrities, with thousands fleeing the area following an evacuation order.

The fire ripped through the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday afternoon, with flames now engulfing an area measuring around 2,921 acres "and growing".

Fire officials say the blaze is gathering pace at an alarming rate, having initially covered an area akin to only 20-acres a handful of hours ago, before expanding to cover 770-acres just one hour later.

It comes as gusts reaching 100mph (160km/h) are forecast to sweep through the area in the coming hours.

Smoke and embers fly through the air in Palisades fire

More than 30,000 people in more than 10,000 households and more than 13,000 structures are under threat from the blaze, said Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the LA Fire Department.

The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has now declared a state of emergency 'to support the communities impacted by the Palisades Fire'.

"By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods," Governor Newsom said, suggesting the highest winds were forecast overnight.

Plumes of thick black smoke billowed over miles of traffic jams as residents tried to escape, and bulldozers are being used to unblock roads from hundreds of abandoned vehicles, according to US reports.

Over 250 Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters are currently tackling the blaze, with a fire confirming the blaze originated at a single address.

High winds are currently fanning the flames across an area located between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Read more: Exact date snow to hit as Arctic blast sweeps London and Southern England - as traffic and travel disruption expected

Read more: Schoolboy, 14, stabbed to death on bus in southeast London as police launch manhunt

Forecasters warned of "life-threatening, destructive" gusts that could last for days, toppling trees, creating dangerous surf and bringing extreme fire risk to areas that have not seen substantial rain for months.

The residential area, measuring around 24 square miles, has become popular among celebrities due to its privacy, with Matt Damon, J-Lo, Chris Pratt, and Adam Levine among the local residents.

One local resident, actor James Woods, uploaded a video to Instagram showing flames lapping at his home in the exclusive area.

It comes as actor Steve Guttenberg, a local resident, also joined in efforts to assist fire officials.

Best known for his roles in Police Academy and Three Men & A Baby, the star was seen to help move parked cars to make way for fire engines.

"This is not a parking lot," he told local media.

"I have friends up there and they can't evacuate... I'm walking up there as far as I can moving cars."

A total evacuation order is now in place across the Pacific Palisades, with schools in the Brentwood ares also being evacuated.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by James Woods (@realjameswoods)

Speaking in an update at 15:30PST (23:30 GMT), Los Angeles Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley said an evacuation order was in place covering around 30,000 residents.

She noted the fire was first reported at 10:30PST (18:30GMT).

She added that no injures had yet been reported.

"Do not stand in the way of this fire," Firefighter David Ortiz said on Tuesday. "This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight."

Witnesses said at least two homes had already caught alight - as flames engulfed trees and could be seen sprinting across the Hollywood hillsides.

One woman described how she ran from her job in Hollywood to save her pets located at home in the Palisades.

Abandoning her car, she described how flaming palm leaves fell on her from a nearby tree.

"I'm getting hit with palm leaves on fire, I ran into a car," she said.

"It's terrifying. It's like a horror movie. I'm screaming and crying going down the street," she said.

Locals took to social media to post photos of the blaze - with some footage from West Hollywood showing flames engulfing a nearby hill.

Roads in and out of the area were gridlocked as local residents attempted to escape the blaze as smoke engulfed the skies over the Hollywood Hills.

Photos emerging from LA show planes dropping fire retardant into the mountains in a bid to halt the flames.

Other images show smoke rising over California's iconic Santa Monica pier, with locals in the water against the bellowing smoke engulfing the hills.

Winds began gaining strength across Southern California on Tuesday, as forecasters warned of "life-threatening, destructive" gusts that could last for days, toppling trees, creating dangerous surf and bringing extreme fire risk to areas that have not seen substantial rain for months.

The US National Weather Service said what could be the strongest Santa Ana windstorm for more than a decade would begin in the afternoon across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Around 10,000 residents are now thought to be without power.

Winds are expected to peak in the early hours of Wednesday, when gusts could reach 80mph (129kph). Isolated gusts could top 100mph (160kph) in mountains and foothills.

Some residents were seen to abandon their vehicles as gridlocked traffic hampered evacuation attempts.

Two vehicles were seen ablaze amid the traffic, abandoned as their drivers instead fled on foot.