A second wind-whipped wildfire is burning out of control in the Los Angeles area

Fast-moving wildfires break out in Los Angeles, destroying homes and prompting evacuations as residents flee in chaos.

A fast-moving wildfire broke out Tuesday (January 7, 2025) in the inland foothills northeast of Los Angeles hours after another blaze tore through the city’s Pacific Palisades neighbourhood along the coast, destroying many homes and prompting evacuation orders for tens of thousands.

The Eaton fire in Altadena started near a nature preserve just before 6:30 p.m. The flames spread so rapidly that staff at a senior care centre had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot where they waited in their bedclothes for ambulances and other vehicles to take them to safety.

To the west, the Pacific Palisades fire that started on Tuesday (Jan. 7) morning burned out of control into the night.

The Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help fight the flames that were being pushed by winds topping 60 mph (97 kph) in some places and creating chaotic scenes as residents fled.

It was too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, hampering the fight.

The Pacific Palisades fire swept through a Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity residences Tuesday (Jan. 7), burning homes and prompting evacuation orders. In the frantic haste to get to safety, roadways were clogged and scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot, some toting suitcases.

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, according to the LA Fire Department.