Hollywood Hills evacuated as LA fire spreads happymamay

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued in the Hollywood Hills following raging wildfires spread across Los Angeles, with the fire chief saying the blaze is “expanding rapidly.”

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said there was an “immediate threat to life” in the area and it was legally closed to the public.

At least five fires are currently active across Los Angeles, and five people have been confirmed dead.

More than 130,000 people have already been forced to evacuate, and the homes of a number of celebrities – including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal – have been destroyed.

California Fire Chief David Acuna told the BBC that progress in containing the Hollywood Hills fire had been “zero” and that it was expanding rapidly.

“The winds have been blowing continuously at 60-100 mph (95-160 km/h) since yesterday morning,” Acuna said. “It actually exploded a lot harder last night.”

Wind speeds have now dropped to about 30 miles per hour, but Acuna added, “That is still significant and because there are a lot of open areas it is very dangerous.”

The first fire started Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, near Malibu, and then another broke out north of the city.

As of 20:15 local time (04:00 GMT), four fires in the Palisades, Pasadena, Sylmar and Hollywood Hills areas had covered more than 27,000 acres (42 sq mi; 109 km2) and were 0% contained. , according to LAFD.

One fire in the Acton area was partially contained, while two others were completely contained.

The fire started in the Hollywood Hills – a residential neighborhood overlooking the city’s historic Hollywood district – at around 18:00 local time on Wednesday.

Less than two hours later, thick smoke covered much of the heart of Hollywood, and the tops of the palm trees that lined its streets were barely visible.

People used jackets to cover their faces to help them breathe, while others – clearly caught off guard by the flames – wore only their pajamas. Many of them carried bags and suitcases, talking on their phones while planning where to go.

Many roads near the fire, including Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, were congested with traffic. Some people even drove on the wrong side of the road while trying to get out of the area.

Resident Anna Waldman told the BBC that she had gone out to walk her dog, but she smelled smoke almost immediately when she got out.

She went back inside, looked out her back windows, saw fire, and watched it move quickly through the Hollywood Hills, arriving within striking distance of her home.

She packed what she could: food, clothes, blankets, and food for her three small dogs.

“I can’t believe this,” she said tiredly, pulling down her face mask.

Makayla Jackson, 26, and her 2-year-old son, Ramari, were evacuated from a homeless shelter that was in danger of fire and are now standing in the street waiting to be dropped off at a high school where they will be provided with assistance. the people.

“They just told us to get out and go,” she said.

Firefighters dealing with the fires suffered from a lack of water and had to resort to drawing water from swimming pools and ponds.

Three separate million-gallon tanks were full before the fires started, but the height of the fires meant water couldn’t move fast enough to taps in affected areas, officials said.

The city also doesn’t typically see fires of this size — the Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in its history — and its systems are designed for urban use, not fighting wildfires.