More than 30,000 residents of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles were forced to leave their homes because of a wildfire, according to NBC News.
The fire broke out on the morning of January 7. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire spread over an area of 486 hectares in just a few hours due to drought and strong winds.
A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles because of the fire. Traffic jams have formed on the roads, including Sunset Boulevard. Some residents were forced to abandon their cars.
The head of the Los Angeles Fire Department Christine Crowley said that more than 10.3 thousand households and 13.2 thousand buildings are under threat because of the spread of the fire.
The flames are also threatening neighborhoods west of Pacific Palisades. Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Eric Scott urged residents to be prepared to evacuate. He said the fire is spreading quickly due to strong winds.
According to PowerOutage.US, nearly 17,000 people in Los Angeles County were left without power.
Los Angeles hasn’t had rainfall in months. Wind gusts reached 50-80 mph (80-130 km/h) on Tuesday.