Video: Wildfire rages through Los Angeles; 30,000 ordered to evacuate

A massive wildfire in Southern California has reached residential areas of a Los Angeles suburb, sparking panic among the people. Around 30,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.

A state of emergency has been declared for Pacific Palisades as the fire started rapidly spreading, surprising many of the residents. First reported around 10:30 am on Tuesday (Jan 7), the inferno has already engulfed over 2,900 acres of land and is fueled by strong winds in the region.

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“This is a highly dangerous windstorm that's creating extreme fire risk – and we're not out of the woods. We're already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

“Our deepest thanks go to our expert firefighters and first responders who jumped quickly into fighting this dangerous fire. If you're in Southern California, please pay attention to weather reports and follow any guidance from emergency officials.”

President Biden was briefed on the situation in Los Angeles and said, “My Administration will do everything it can to support the response.”

I am being frequently briefed on the wildfires in west Los Angeles. My team and I are in touch with state and local officials, and I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire. Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire…

Residents abandoned cars

As the residents fled the Pacific Palisades area, many abandoned their cars on the major road connecting the region and rushed on foot to get away from the raging fire. The firefighters resorted to using bulldozers to push dozens of vehicles off the road.

Despite the chaos during the evacuation, no deaths or injuries were reported, said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley.

Videos surface on social media

While evacuating in their car, some people managed to capture the wildfire on their camera and posted it on social media. In the videos, the inferno can be seen getting closer to the roads as the residents flee their homes.

In a video, the fire can be seen burning a house in Los Angeles as it reached the residential area.

“Smoke from the Palisades Fire nearly blocks out the sunset in Los Angeles looks like the blaze is headed inland towards Brentwood,” a user wrote while sharing the video of the wildfire approaching a beach.

The fire started following the seasonal Santa Ana winds that hit the region. Forecasters have said that the winds could turn into the worst windstorm in a decade.

The gusts could reach up to 100 mph (160 kmph) in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to the National Weather Service.

Red flag warnings have been issued in the region until Thursday (Jan 9) evening.

Scientists have attributed climate change, which is affecting the weather patterns, to be the driving factor for the increasing wildfires in Southern California.

(With inputs from agencies)