The full magnitude of the California wildfires emerges as 30,000 people are evacuated and celebrities flee their homes…

January 8, 2025, 09:22 | Updated: January 8, 2025, 09:38

The full extent of the devastating wildfire ravaging California has been revealed in footage filmed by a terrified airline passenger, as a state of emergency was declared and tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes.

The massive fire in Pacific Palisades forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, with some abandoning their cars to flee on foot to safety.

Firefighting planes had been dropping water from the sky on the inferno throughout the afternoon, but had to remain grounded due to deteriorating wind and visibility conditions. At least 30,000 residents are now under mandatory evacuation orders.

The Pacific Palisades is a celebrity enclave that’s home to Chris Pratt, Miles Teller, and Star Wars star Mark Hamill. Hamill, along with reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, and Travis Barker’s children have evacuated their homes. Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg also live in the area.

The fire tore through Pacific Palisades on Tuesday afternoon, and flames are now engulfing an area measuring about 2,921 acres “and growing.”

Firefighters say the fire is accelerating at an alarming rate, having initially covered an area of ​​just 20 acres a few hours ago, before expanding to cover 770 acres just an hour later.

It comes as gusts of up to 160 km/h (100 mph) are forecast to hit the area in the coming hours.

Smoke and embers fly through the air in the Palisades fire

More than 30,000 people in more than 10,000 homes and more than 13,000 structures are threatened by the fire, said Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has now declared a state of emergency “to support communities affected by the Palisades Fire.”

“We are by no means out of the woods,” Gov. Newsom said, suggesting the strongest winds were forecast overnight.

Plumes of thick black smoke rose above miles of traffic jams as residents tried to escape, and bulldozers are being used to unblock roads for hundreds of abandoned vehicles, according to US reports.

More than 250 firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department are currently battling the fire, and a fire confirmed that the fire originated from a single address.

Strong winds are currently fanning the flames in an area located between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Read more: Exact date snow will arrive as the Arctic blast devastates London and southern England, as disruptions to traffic and travel are expected

Read more: 14-year-old schoolboy stabbed to death on bus in south-east London as police launch manhunt

Forecasters warned of “destructive and life-threatening” gusts that could last for days, toppling trees, creating dangerous waves and bringing extreme fire risk to areas that haven’t seen substantial rain for months.

The residential area, which measures around 24 square miles, has become popular with celebrities due to its privacy, with Matt Damon, J-Lo, Chris Pratt and Adam Levine among local residents.

A local resident, actor James Woods, uploaded a video to Instagram showing flames burning at his home in the exclusive area.

It comes as actor Steve Gutenberg, a local resident, also joined the efforts to help firefighters.

Best known for his roles in Police Academy and Three Men & A Baby, the star was seen helping move parked cars to make way for fire trucks.

“This is not a parking lot,” he told local media.

“I have friends up there and they can’t evacuate… I’m walking up there as far as I can moving cars.”

There is currently a full evacuation order in Pacific Palisades, and schools in Brentwood are also being evacuated.

In an update at 3:30 p.m. PST (23:30 GMT), Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said there was an evacuation order covering about 30,000 residents.

He noted that the fire was first reported at 10:30 PST (18:30 GMT).

He added that so far no injuries have been reported.

“Don’t get in the way of this fire,” firefighter David Ortiz said Tuesday. “This is pretty much the worst-case scenario for a shooting.”

Witnesses said at least two houses had already caught fire, as flames engulfed trees and could be seen racing down the slopes of Hollywood.

A woman described how she fled her job in Hollywood to save her pets located in her Palisades home.

Abandoning her car, she described how burning palm fronds fell on her from a nearby tree.

“They hit me with burning palm leaves, I crashed into a car,” he said.

“It’s terrifying. It’s like a horror movie. I’m screaming and crying in the street,” she said.

Locals took to social media to post photos of the fire, and some images from West Hollywood showed flames engulfing a nearby hill.

Roads in and out of the area were paralyzed as local residents tried to escape the fire as smoke engulfed the skies over the Hollywood Hills.

Photos emerging from Los Angeles show planes dropping fire retardant into the mountains in an attempt to stop the flames.

Other images show smoke rising over California’s iconic Santa Monica Pier, with locals in the water against the smoke enveloping the hills.

Winds began to gain strength in Southern California on Tuesday, as forecasters warned of “destructive and life-threatening” gusts that could last for days, toppling trees, creating dangerous surf and bringing extreme fire risk to areas that have not seen substantial rains for months.

The U.S. National Weather Service said what could be the strongest wind storm in Santa Ana in more than a decade would begin in the afternoon in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

Around 10,000 residents are now believed to be without power.

Winds are expected to peak early Wednesday, when gusts could reach 80 mph (129 kph). Isolated gusts could exceed 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) in mountains and hills.

Some residents were seen abandoning their vehicles as blocked traffic hampered evacuation attempts.

Two burning vehicles were seen in traffic, abandoned as their drivers fled on foot.