Smoke from the fire spread over the Santa Monica mountains and the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where many luxury properties are located. Residents were urged to be ready for evacuation, while a major highway was closed due to the fire and smoke.
Thousands have had to leave their homes, reports the Los Angeles Times, which writes that the fire was still out of control.
Many residents were forced to flee along Sunset Boulevard and via Pacific Coast Highway.
The fire spread quickly due to the strong winds. The weather conditions are so severe that an official warning has been issued about "life-threatening, destructive" storm gusts in southern California – storm winds that are expected to last for days.
The winds threaten to knock down trees and create unusually high waves, in addition to increasing the risk of fires spreading.
The severe weather conditions forced the outgoing US President Joe Biden to cancel an event in Riverside county, where he was to inaugurate two national monuments. The event has been moved to the city of Los Angeles.
