Around 30,000 people have been forced to leave their homes as wildfires, fuelled by extreme winds, have ravaged through a wealthy Los Angeles neighbourhood.
Numerous properties have been consumed by the blaze in the Pacific Palisades area, known for its hillside estates and celebrity homes, including those owned by Ben Affleck and Rita Wilson. Dramatic images capture residents fleeing for safety as the inferno intensified on Tuesday afternoon, prompting authorities to issue mandatory evacuation orders to over 30,000 people.
California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his concern after witnessing the devastation caused by the “saw firsthand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers” noting that he saw “not a few – many structures already destroyed”. He proclaimed a state of emergency on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued warnings about the windstorm, which is expected to persist for several days and could be the most severe Southern California has experienced in over ten years, describing it as potentially “life threatening”.
Governor Newsom, who has been in office since 2019, cautioned: “By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods,” highlighting that more than 28,000 households were currently without electricity due to the powerful gusts, reports the Mirror.
It’s believed that numerous celebrities are among those compelled to evacuate in the face of the wildfires. The Pacific Palisades is a well-known haven for stars, with Chris Pratt, Reese Witherspoon, and Miles Teller residing there, amongst other high-profile figures.
Other nearby celebrity hotspots include Calabasas and Pasadena, where famous personalities like the Kardashians have their homes.
Properties have been decimated in the swathes of land stretching from Malibu to Calabasas in California, with vehicles wrecked and left abandoned as residents flee the chaos on foot. Images show locals clutching their belongings as they hurriedly seek refuge.
Kelsey Trainor, a resident of the affected area, recounted that the sole access route to her community was utterly obstructed. She described a scene where ash descended like snowflakes amidst the infernos raging on either side of the thoroughfare.
She recounted: “We looked across and the fire had jumped from one side of the road to the other side of the road. People were getting out of the cars with their dogs and babies and bags, they were crying and screaming. The road was just blocked, like full-on blocked for an hour.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our daily newsletter here.