A mandatory evacuation order has been issued in the Hollywood Hills following the spread of wildfires raging through Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said there was an “imminent 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 had to evacuate, and the homes of numerous celebrities – including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal – have been destroyed.
The first fire broke out Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, near Malibu, and others later broke out across the northern part of the city.
As of 8:15 p.m. local time (04:00 GMT), four fires in the Palisades, Pasadena, Sylmar and Hollywood Hills areas have covered more than 27,000 hectares (42 square miles; 109 square kilometers) and are 0% contained, according to the LAFD- in.
One fire in the Acton area is partially contained, while the other two are fully contained.
The fire in Hollywood Hills – a residential area overlooking the historic area of Hollywood – broke out on Wednesday around 6 pm local time.
Less than two hours later, much of the heart of Hollywood was shrouded in thick smoke, and the palm trees that lined its streets were barely visible.
People covered their faces with sweatpants to help them breathe, while others – apparently surprised by the fire – wore only pajamas. Many were carrying bags and suitcases, talking on the phone as they made plans for where to go.
Many roads near the fire — including Hollywood Boulevard, home of the Hollywood Walk of Fame — were jammed 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 went to walk her dog but almost immediately smelled smoke when she stepped outside.
She went back inside and, looking out her back windows, saw the fire and watched it move quickly toward the Hollywood Hills, approaching within a block of her home.
She packed what she could: food, clothes, blankets, food for her three small dogs.
“I can’t believe it,” she said exhaustedly, removing her face mask.
Makayla Jackson, 26, and her 2-year-old son, Ramari, had been evacuated from a homeless shelter threatened by fire and were now standing on the street waiting for a ride to a high school where people were offering help.
“They just told us to get out and go,” she said.
Firefighters fighting the fires faced a water shortage and had to resort to taking water from pools and ponds.
Officials said three separate million-gallon tanks were full before the fire broke out, but that the height of the fire meant water could not move quickly enough to hydrants in the affected areas.
The city also doesn’t typically see wildfires of this scale — the Palisades fire is already the most destructive in its history — and its systems are designed for urban use, not wildfire fighting.
