Hollywood Hills evacuated as Los Angeles fire spreads

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued in the Hollywood Hills following the spread of wildfires raging in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said there was an “imminent threat to life” in the area and that it was legally closed to the public.

At least five fires are currently active in Los Angeles, with five people confirmed dead.

More than 130,000 people have already had to evacuate, and the homes of a number of celebrities – including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal – have been destroyed.

The first fire started Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, near Malibu, and others have since broken out in the northern part of the city.

As of 20:15 local time (0400 GMT), four fires in the Palisades, Pasadena, Sylmar and Hollywood Hills areas had covered more than 27,000 acres (42 sq mi; 109 sq km) and were 0% contained. , according to the LAFD.

One fire in the Acton area was partially contained, while two others were fully contained.

The fire in Hollywood Hills – a residential neighborhood overlooking the city’s historic Hollywood district – started around 6pm local time on Wednesday.

Less than two hours later, much of the heart of Hollywood was covered in thick smoke, and the tops of the palm trees that line its streets were barely visible.

People used sweatshirts to cover their faces to help them breathe, while others – apparently startled by the fire – were only in pyjamas. Many were carrying bags and suitcases, talking on their phones as they made plans on where to go.

Many of the roads near the fire – including Hollywood Boulevard, where the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located – were clogged 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 she went to walk her dog but smelled smoke almost immediately when she stepped outside.

She went back inside and, looking out her back windows, saw fire and watched it move quickly, thinking the Hollywood Hills, coming 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 the mask from her face.

Makayla Jackson, 26, and her two-year-old son, Ramari, had been evacuated from a homeless shelter that was in danger of catching fire and were now standing on the street waiting to be transported to a high school where help was available.

“They just told us to get out and go,” she said.

Firefighters battling the blazes were short of water and had to resort to fetching water from swimming pools and lakes.

Officials said three separate one-million-gallon reservoirs were full before the fires started, but that the altitude of the fires meant water could not move quickly enough to hydrants in the affected areas.

The city also doesn’t typically see fires of this magnitude — the Palisades fire is already the most destructive in its history — and its systems are designed for urban use, not wildfire fighting.