At least five people have died, dozens have been injured, 70,000 have been ordered to leave their homes and more than 28,000 properties have been burned or threatened as wildfires fanned by high winds raged out of control in California.
Residents were asked to conserve water because the city's water system was being stretched to their limits by the ongoing blazes in the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Woodley areas.
A state of emergency was declared on Tuesday by California Governor Gavin Newsom who said Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and other southern parts of the state faced a “life-threatening and destructive” and extreme fire risk.
U.S. President Joe Biden said he had approved a Major Disaster declaration for California, allowing communities and survivors to immediately access funds and resources and his administration was supporting state and local responses.
“The situation remains extremely dangerous, and the Administration continues to urge residents to heed the warnings of local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so,” Biden said in a statement.
Fire had burned more than 1,000 properties in Palisades, a picturesque neighbourhood which is home to many film, television and music stars, making it one of the worst fires in Los Angeles history, Reuters reported.
Actor James Woods posted a video on X showing flames engulfing trees and bushes near his home as he prepared to evacuate and said his fire alarms were going off.
“I couldn’t believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one,” Woods was quoted as saying.
Former L.A. mayoral candidate and property developer Rick Caruso said his staff had told him the fire hydrants in the Palisades Village had no water.
“The firefighters are there and there’s nothing they can do — we’ve got neighbourhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning … It should never happen,” he said.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who was criticised for being out of the country on a trip, said the City of Los Angeles had declared a state of emergency to amplify the response to the Palisades fire and windstorm.
