Tens of thousands flee as wildfires tear through Los Angeles area

More than 30,000 people evacuated their homes as a wildfire tore through a coastal area of Los Angeles in just a few hours, and a second blaze some 30 miles (50 km) inland was rapidly spreading on Wednesday.

Numerous buildings were destroyed and nearly 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) were burned in the upscale Pacific Palisades area between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, officials said. The area is home to many film and music stars.

Highways were jammed with people fleeing the inferno as plumes of smoke and flames rose in the sky over Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The fires has not been contained by Wednesday morning and Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.

A fire official told local television station KTLA that several people were injured in the Palisades Fire, some with burns to faces and hands. One female firefighter had suffered a a head injury.

The second blaze, dubbed the Eaton Fire, broke out some 30 miles (50 km) inland in Altadena, near Pasadena, and increased in size to 1,000 acres (400 hectares) from 200 acres in a few hours, according to Cal Fire.


Reuters