In an area famous for natural disasters, survivors of multiple massive wildfires in Los Angeles County described apocalyptic scenes and the horror of trying to outrun flames stoked by hurricane-like winds.
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At least five wildfires continued to burn out of control Wednesday afternoon, consuming nearly 27,000 acres combined and destroying more than 1,000 homes, including multimillion-dollar mansions, in some of the priciest enclaves in America. More than 100,000 people were under mandatory evacuation.
At least five people were killed in one of the fires, officials said.
“It’s astounding what’s happening,” President Joe Biden said during a news conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, during which he announced that he had signed an emergency disaster declaration.
Several blazes burning at once
The fires began around 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday with the Palisades Fire and the Hurst Fire erupting around the same time miles apart, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The Palisades Fire — burning in Pacific Palisades, about 20 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles along the Pacific Ocean — had consumed nearly 16,000 acres by Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Amid the chaos, some celebrities posted about the impact of the fire. Several, including Paris Hilton and Cameron Mathison, shared that their homes were destroyed.
Several restaurants along the Pacific Coast Highway were destroyed in the Palisades Fire. One of them was Moonshadows Malibu, known for its tiki-themed patio overlooking the Pacific.
The Hurst Fire near San Fernando, about 22 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, had burned 700 acres.
The Eaton Fire, the second-largest fire in the area, ignited just after 6 p.m. on Tuesday and was fanned by strong Santa Ana winds that reached 98 mph in some areas, had grown to 10,600 acres, torching homes in Pasadena and Altadena, both about 11 miles east of downtown L.A. Five residents perished in the Eaton Fire, but officials did not disclose details of how they died.
A fourth blaze burning in Los Angeles County, the Woodley Fire, erupted at about 6:15 a.m. on Wednesday near Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley and quickly spread to 30 acres. As of about 6 p.m. local time, the flames were considered “under control,” according to LA Mayor Karen Bass.
