More than 100,000 people in Southern California have fled their homes to escape wind-fuelled wildfires that are tearing through Los Angeles neighbourhoods, causing at least five deaths.
Overnight, the situation became catastrophic when power was cut to more than 300,000 homes in the LA area. A fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills overnight, causing LA fire chief Kristin Crowley to abruptly leave a media conference she was giving on the unfolding situation.
Parts of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Mulholland Drive down to Hollywood Boulevard, packed with celebrity homes, are now in the mandatory evacuation zone. Hotel heiress Paris Hilton and comedian Billy Crystal are among the famous residents to have lost their homes, reports said. The nominations announcement for the Academy Awards has been postponed from January 17 to 19, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said.
US President Joe Biden cancelled the final overseas trip of his presidency, hours before he was set to leave for Rome and the Vatican on Thursday.
"It’s astounding what’s happening," he said after being briefed by CalFire officials at a fire station in Santa Monica. “We’re doing anything and everything and as long as it takes to contain these fires … to make sure you get back to normal. It’s going to be a hell of a long way. It’s going to take time.”
President-elect Donald Trump appeared to blame California Governor Gavin Newsom for the fires in a social media post, claiming he should have approved plans to pump more water through California. Mr Trump said LA was "currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way".
The Palisades Fire, between the affluent beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, has burnt about 6,300 hectares. Many multi-million-dollar beachfront homes in Malibu were completely destroyed. Local officials said 1,000 structures homes and other buildings were burnt by the Palisades Fire, making it the most destructive in Los Angeles County's history.
Another large fire near Pasadena, called the Eaton Fire, has burnt through more than 4,200 hectares as of late Wednesday afternoon. It burnt only 800 hectares earlier in the day. The deaths were reported as a result of that blaze. Authorities also reported a “significant number” of injuries.
On Wednesday, LA Mayor Karen Bass said hundreds of firefighters had been working through the night and thanked them for “working tirelessly to respond and protect life and property”. Mr Biden was in LA for an event on Tuesday, which was affected by high winds. He spent Wednesday speaking to Mr Newsom and local officials before his departure.
Mr Newsom said the state received federal assistance to fight fires after he declared a state of emergency on Tuesday. Mr Biden said he ordered the Department of Defence to help.
Ms Bass announced that there are emergency shelters for those who have been evacuated. Two other smaller active fires are active in the Los Angeles area. The origins are currently under investigation.
Vice President Kamala Harris is a native of the coastal US state and called herself a “proud daughter of California”. Her representative said her neighbourhood in Los Angeles was "put under an evacuation order" but "no one was in her home at the time".
“My heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devastating wildfires in Southern California," Ms Harris said. "We are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses and schools remain in harm’s way. I know the damage that wildfires have on our neighbours and communities. I also know that the impact is often felt long after the fire is contained."
Television and film celebrities including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods shared news of fleeing for safety and unease over whether their homes are intact.
The fires began in the region at a time when as forecasters saw an incoming Santa Ana windstorm with sustained winds of 64kph. The region has also not received much rain for months, increasing fire risk. The National Weather Service called it a “life-threatening and destructive windstorm” in its forecast this week. Experts told CNN and AP that wildfire risks, fuelled by the winds, could be sustained through Thursday.
Southern California Edison said power cuts were affecting more than 3.1 million customers because of the wildfires. The regional electricity company's website says another 1.15 million people could be affected.
California's wildfire season usually begins in June and runs until October, making January wildfires quite rare. Conditions intensified by climate change, such as rising temperatures, drought and decreased rainfall, have led to the state's fire season to begin earlier and end later.
