A fast-moving brush fire that started Tuesday in Los Angeles endangered houses and left hundreds of residents fleeing, leading municipal and state officials to declare a state of emergency.
Meanwhile, a second swiftly expanding inferno broke out some hours later, causing further evacuations, as hazardous gusts continued to sweep Southern California late into the evening.
The Pacific Palisades fire, which had spread to about 3,000 acres by 6:30 p.m. local time, was initially reported around 11 a.m. and soon caused hundreds of evacuations across the region and into Malibu.
From the foothills to the shore, vast swathes of smoke and flames surged from the region as fire workers battled the wind-driven conflagration. By Tuesday evening, the brush fire had leaped the Pacific Coast Highway, nearly approaching Will Rogers Beach State Park.
"This is a highly dangerous windstorm that's creating extreme fire risk – and we're not out of the woods," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "We're already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes."
Later Tuesday evening, a second brush fire in Altadena -- to the northeast of Pacific Palisades -- began. Fueled by the whipping winds, the Eaton fire swiftly expanded from 10 acres to 400 acres in less than two hours. Several areas are under mandatory evacuation orders.
President Joe Biden, who is in Los Angeles, had two briefings about the quickly growing wildfire.
The president "encourages residents in the affected areas to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials—especially if ordered to evacuate," the White House said in statement.
Overall, evacuation orders were in effect for nearly 30,000 persons and more than 10,000 houses were endangered by the Palisades fire, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Later Tuesday evening, the mayor of Santa Monica also declared a mandatory evacuation for a stretch of the city north of San Vicente Boulevard, claiming there was a "immediate threat to life."
No injuries had been recorded as of late Tuesday.
Scenes Of Devastation
KABC reported that both a high school, Pacific Palisades Charter High School, and a theater adjacent, the Theatre Palisades, had caught fire.
Flames also got perilously near to the Getty Villa, a hilltop museum in Malibu with a renowned collection of art from Ancient Greece and Rome. However, managers assured the public that the museum's collection was safe.
"Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year," Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust said in a statement. "Some trees and vegetation on site have burned, but staff and the collection remain safe."
The museum says its galleries and library archives were sealed off from smoke by its state-of-the-art air-handling system and the doubled-walled architecture of its galleries.
Read Also: How Can Residents Stay Safe During The Pacific Palisades Fire?
Winds Forecast To Worsen
Wind conditions were predicted to deteriorate into the evening and through the night, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone.
"We are not out of danger," Marrone told reporters at an afternoon conference. "The National Weather Service has predicted that the winds are going to pick up and get worse."
The heaviest gusts were forecast between 10 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, he added. Residents in the region were urged to have an evacuation plan in order.
The severe winds are anticipated to continue through 6 p.m. Wednesday, encompassing Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, with some wind gusts reaching up to 100 mph, according to the governor's office.
Earlier, fire authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for thousands of residences in the region from Merrimac Road west to Topanga Canyon Boulevard and south to Pacific Coast Highway. Those not under evacuation orders are being advised to shelter in place.
As the fire began growing Tuesday afternoon, traffic jam first congested key routes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, including Palisades Drive and Sunset Boulevard. The LAFD stated roughly 30 automobiles left abandoned on Sunset and Palisades would have to be relocated by the county to ensure clear access.
Sections of the 10 Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway were restricted to all non-essential traffic on Tuesday afternoon.
More than 17,000 consumers were without power across Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.US.
A separate brush fire threatened the West Hollywood region Tuesday morning, with personnel trying to extinguish the flames on Sunset Boulevard between San Vicente and Crescent Heights.
The cause of the incidents was under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
A "life-threatening" and "destructive" windstorm is also forecast from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday early throughout parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to the National Weather Service. Areas that are not generally windy will also be impacted, the organization added.
Much of Southern California is under red flag alerts for fire danger from Tuesday through Thursday as strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and severely dry fuels endanger the region.
Tove Svendson 
A fast-moving brush fire that started Tuesday in Los Angeles endangered houses and left hundreds of residents fleeing, leading municipal and state officials to declare a state of emergency.
Meanwhile, a second swiftly expanding inferno broke out some hours later, causing further evacuations, as hazardous gusts continued to sweep Southern California late into the evening.
The Pacific Palisades fire, which had spread to about 3,000 acres by 6:30 p.m. local time, was initially reported around 11 a.m. and soon caused hundreds of evacuations across the region and into Malibu.
From the foothills to the shore, vast swathes of smoke and flames surged from the region as fire workers battled the wind-driven conflagration. By Tuesday evening, the brush fire had leaped the Pacific Coast Highway, nearly approaching Will Rogers Beach State Park.
"This is a highly dangerous windstorm that's creating extreme fire risk – and we're not out of the woods," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "We're already seeing the destructive impacts with this fire in Pacific Palisades that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes."
Later Tuesday evening, a second brush fire in Altadena -- to the northeast of Pacific Palisades -- began. Fueled by the whipping winds, the Eaton fire swiftly expanded from 10 acres to 400 acres in less than two hours. Several areas are under mandatory evacuation orders.
President Joe Biden, who is in Los Angeles, had two briefings about the quickly growing wildfire.
The president "encourages residents in the affected areas to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials—especially if ordered to evacuate," the White House said in statement.
Overall, evacuation orders were in effect for nearly 30,000 persons and more than 10,000 houses were endangered by the Palisades fire, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Later Tuesday evening, the mayor of Santa Monica also declared a mandatory evacuation for a stretch of the city north of San Vicente Boulevard, claiming there was a "immediate threat to life."
No injuries had been recorded as of late Tuesday.
Scenes Of Devastation
KABC reported that both a high school, Pacific Palisades Charter High School, and a theater adjacent, the Theatre Palisades, had caught fire.
Flames also got perilously near to the Getty Villa, a hilltop museum in Malibu with a renowned collection of art from Ancient Greece and Rome. However, managers assured the public that the museum's collection was safe.
"Fortunately, Getty had made extensive efforts to clear brush from the surrounding area as part of its fire mitigation efforts throughout the year," Katherine E. Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust said in a statement. "Some trees and vegetation on site have burned, but staff and the collection remain safe."
The museum says its galleries and library archives were sealed off from smoke by its state-of-the-art air-handling system and the doubled-walled architecture of its galleries.
Read Also: How Can Residents Stay Safe During The Pacific Palisades Fire?
Winds Forecast To Worsen
Wind conditions were predicted to deteriorate into the evening and through the night, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone.
"We are not out of danger," Marrone told reporters at an afternoon conference. "The National Weather Service has predicted that the winds are going to pick up and get worse."
The heaviest gusts were forecast between 10 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, he added. Residents in the region were urged to have an evacuation plan in order.
The severe winds are anticipated to continue through 6 p.m. Wednesday, encompassing Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, with some wind gusts reaching up to 100 mph, according to the governor's office.
Earlier, fire authorities issued a mandatory evacuation order for thousands of residences in the region from Merrimac Road west to Topanga Canyon Boulevard and south to Pacific Coast Highway. Those not under evacuation orders are being advised to shelter in place.
As the fire began growing Tuesday afternoon, traffic jam first congested key routes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, including Palisades Drive and Sunset Boulevard. The LAFD stated roughly 30 automobiles left abandoned on Sunset and Palisades would have to be relocated by the county to ensure clear access.
Sections of the 10 Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway were restricted to all non-essential traffic on Tuesday afternoon.
More than 17,000 consumers were without power across Los Angeles County, according to PowerOutage.US.
A separate brush fire threatened the West Hollywood region Tuesday morning, with personnel trying to extinguish the flames on Sunset Boulevard between San Vicente and Crescent Heights.
The cause of the incidents was under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
A "life-threatening" and "destructive" windstorm is also forecast from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday early throughout parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, according to the National Weather Service. Areas that are not generally windy will also be impacted, the organization added.
Much of Southern California is under red flag alerts for fire danger from Tuesday through Thursday as strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and severely dry fuels endanger the region.