America News Agency

Rapidly spreading wildfires in Southern California have forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes.

The Pacific Palisades fire ravaged a wealthy hillside in Los Angeles, home to celebrities, on Tuesday, burning houses and prompting evacuation orders. Roads were clogged as people rushed to safety, some abandoning their vehicles and fleeing on foot.

The Eaton fire near Altadena began shortly before 6:30 p.m. near a nature reserve. Flames spread so quickly that staff at a senior care center were forced to evacuate dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds to the street.

The Los Angeles Fire Department called off-duty firefighters to help battle the flames, driven by winds reaching up to 97 km/h. Strong winds made it impossible for firefighting aircraft to operate, complicating efforts to combat the fires.

Authorities said the exact cause of the fires remains unknown, and no injuries have been reported so far.

California Governor Gavin Newsom visited the affected area and stated that "not a few, but many structures have been destroyed."

The Santa Ana windstorm is expected to intensify overnight and continue for several days, producing isolated gusts of up to 160 km/h in the mountains and foothills, including areas that have not seen significant rainfall for months.