Tens of thousands flee as wildfires tear through LA

More than 30,000 people evacuated their homes as a wildfire tore through a coastal area of Los Angeles in just a few hours, and a second blaze some 50km inland was rapidly spreading on Wednesday.

Numerous buildings were destroyed and nearly 3,000 acres were burned in the upscale Pacific Palisades area between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, officials said. The area is home to many film and music stars.

Highways were jammed with people fleeing the inferno as plumes of smoke and flames rose in the sky over Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The fires have not been contained by Wednesday morning and Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.

Pacific Palisades resident Cindy Festa said that as she evacuated, fires were "this close to the cars," demonstrating with her thumb and forefinger.

"People left their cars on Palisades Drive. Burning up the hillside. The palm trees — everything is going," Festa said from her car.

A fire official told local television station KTLA that several people were injured in the Palisades Fire, some with burns to faces and hands. One female firefighter had suffered a head injury.

Hollywood actor James Woods said on X he was able to evacuate his Pacific Palisades house but added: "I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing."