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Firefighters on Wednesday battled a ferocious wildfire in Los Angeles suburbs, home to many Hollywood celebrities, which devoured buildings and sparked panicked evacuations as hurricane-force winds fuelled rapid blaze growth.
Frightened residents abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the 3,000-acre (1,200-hectare) blaze engulfing an area packed with multimillion-dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Firefighters used bulldozers to push dozens of vehicles-including expensive models such as BMWs, Teslas, and Mercedes-to one side, leaving many crumpled and with their alarms blaring. Some celebrities posted comments and pictures on social media platforms.
More than 1,400 firefighters were on the ground, with hundreds more on the way, California Governor Gavin Newsom said.
How Wild Winds Fuelled the Palisades Fire to Burn 3,000 Acres?
CBS News reported, quoting the Los Angeles Fire Department, that the Palisades Fire started at 10:30 am near 1190 North Piedra Morada Dr. With winds reaching at least 40 mph, the flames quickly spread to about 200 acres and grew exponentially. It continued to spread rapidly through the hillsides. As of Wednesday morning, the fire has burnt 2,921 acres with zero containment. Authorities evacuated about 30,000 people as flames threatened more than 10,000 homes.
The fire came as the area was being hit by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in a decade, with gusts of up to 100 miles (160 kilometres) an hour expected.
Wildfires are an expected part of life in the US West and play a vital role in nature. But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns. Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, which sparked furious vegetative growth-leaving the region packed with fuel and primed to burn.
(With inputs from agencies)