UK tourists in California have been issued a warning by the Foreign Office as wildfires breakout in Los Angeles.
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes as blazes rip through buildings and more than 1,400 firefighters have been deployed. There are three separate major fires which cover more than 4,000 acres of land between them, according to local officials.
The fire that broke out on Tuesday evening near a nature reserve in the inland foothills north-east of LA spread so rapidly that staff at a care home had to push dozens of elderly residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a car park. The residents waited in their bedclothes as embers fell around them until ambulances, buses and even construction vans arrived to take them to safety.
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Another blaze that started hours earlier ripped through the city’s Pacific Palisades community, a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity residences and made famous by the Beach Boys in their 1960s hit Surfin’ USA. Roads became impassable after scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some bearing suitcases.
People drive their cars on Sunset Boulevard as they evacuate their homes while the Palisades Fire burns during a powerful windstorm on January 7, 2025 in Pacific Palisades, California -Credit:Getty Images
The traffic jam on Palisades Drive prevented emergency vehicles from getting through and a bulldozer was brought in to push the abandoned cars to the side and create a path. Video along the Pacific Coast Highway showed widespread destruction of homes and businesses along the famous road.
A third wildfire started at around 10.30pm local time on Tuesday (6.30am GMT on Wednesday) and quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar, a San Fernando Valley community that is the northernmost area in Los Angeles. The causes of all three fires are under investigation.
Flames were being spread by Santa Ana winds topping 60mph in some places. The winds were expected to increase overnight, producing isolated gusts that could top 100mph in mountains and foothills – including in areas that have not seen substantial rain in months.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a grant to help reimburse California for the firefighting cost. Officials did not give an estimate of structures damaged or destroyed in the Pacific Palisades wildfire, but they said about 30,000 residents were under evacuation orders and more than 13,000 structures were under threat. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom visited the scene and said many homes had been burned.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued an update to UK nationals in the area, urging people to follow the guidance of local authorities. It said: “Fast-spreading wildfires are currently active within Los Angeles County. You should monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities. More detailed information can be found on CAL FIRE. If you are in need of consular assistance, you should call +1 310 789 0031 or visit Emergency help. In the UK, call +44 (0) 20 7008 5000.”
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