Stars join mass exodus from LA firestorm

More than 30,000 people evacuated their homes as a wildfire fueled by a windstorm ripped through an upscale coastal area of Los Angeles, with Hollywood celebrities among those fleeing by car and on foot as flames engulfed homes and set hillsides ablaze.

Two other fires inland were also spreading fast.

Numerous buildings were destroyed and nearly 1,200 hectares burned in the Pacific Palisades area between Santa Monica and Malibu. The area is home to many film and music stars.

Roads were jammed with people fleeing, some abandoning cars as flames licked the edges.

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.

Mayor Karen Bass said the windstorm is expected to worsen through the morning.

A second blaze, dubbed the Eaton Fire, broke out 50 kilometers inland in Altadena, near Pasadena, and doubled in size to 400 hectares in a few hours.

A third, the Hurst Fire, started in Sylmar, in San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles. It has grown 202 hectares from 40 hectares.

REUTERS