Fire-ravaged residents in ritzy suburbs across southern California have been warned to brace for another 12 hours of hell as wildfires turn cataclysmic.
Million-dollar mansions in the celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades were razed last night, with landmark institutions and beloved restaurants leveled as three out-of-control blazes spread at a rapid rate across Los Angeles.
The night sky blazed red and was blanketed in heavy smoke - while a windstorm the worst Los Angeles has seen in more than a decade whipped up debris and sent fire embers traveling more than a mile ahead of the monstrous inferno itself.
Firefighters battling the Palisades blaze, which is burning through about five football fields a minute, warned they were running out of water and supplies, as evacuation warnings spread to Malibu and Calabasas.
Tankers full of water had been dousing the inferno from the skies all afternoon, but all aircraft were later grounded amid deteriorating wind conditions and visibility.
Residents were warned the worst is still yet to come as the raging wildfire burns through more than 2,900 acres of Los Angeles land at an extraordinary rate.
At least 30,000 residents are now under mandatory evacuation orders with more still warned they should be prepared to leave, after a fire that broke out in the foothills near Eaton Canyon has grown to 1,000 acres in just six hours since it began.
A third brush fire has broken out in Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley which recent estimates is around 100 acres big. It comes as:
Pacific Palisades, where houses have already been reduced to rubble, is a celebrity enclave home to Chris Pratt, Reese Witherspoon and Miles Teller among other Hollywood A-listers.
Even more celebrities call Calabasas and Pasadena home, including the Kardashians.
Hellish photos from the inferno's epicenter show once-decadent million-dollar homes completely obliterated by the wildfire. A spiral staircase and opulent art gallery wall were seen burned to cinders.
Firefighters, which have said there is no hope of containing the fires overnight, are now focusing their efforts on helping residents get to safety.
The raging fire is predicted to continue to burn uncontained for at least the next 12 hours, according to Malibu City Council member Bruce Silverstein.
Silverstein gave the grim update in an urgent message to locals and celebrities alike: 'The Palisades Fire is a monster.
'It is burning out of control, and the Santa Ana winds are spreading the fire and embers very fast,' he wrote, according to the NY Times.
With aircraft grounded for the night amid deteriorating 60mph wind conditions and visibility, and a lack of water to contain the blazes, authorities are concerned the hellish devastation plaguing LA still has not peaked.
Mandatory evacuation zones have multiplied and now are scattered across the coast from Malibu to Santa Monica, and inland toward Calabasas and Pasadena.
The Palisades blaze began around 10am Tuesday, shortly after the start of a Santa Ana windstorm that the National Weather service warned could be 'life threatening' and the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade.
The Eaton fire in Altadena started near a nature preserve. The flames spread so rapidly that staff at a senior care center 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.
A third wildfire started around 10.30pm and quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar, a San Fernando Valley community that is the northernmost neighborhood in Los Angeles. The causes of all three fires are under investigation.
President Joe Biden revealed late on Tuesday night he'd been briefed on the fires and was in touch with both state and local officials.
'I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire,' he wrote on X.
'Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs.
'My Administration will do everything it can to support the response. I urge the residents of the Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles to stay vigilant and listen to local officials.'
Vice President Kamala Harris' Los Angeles home fell into the evacuation zone late on Tuesday.
Harris is currently in Washington and issued a statement thanking the 'heroic' first responders who are risking their lives to save homes.
'As a proud daughter of California, I know the damage that wildfires have on our neighbors and communities. I also know that the impact is often felt long after the fire is contained,' she said.
And the human toll of the carnage is only now starting to become apparent, with multiple burns victims reported at Duke's Restaurant in Malibu after a fire tore through the region.
A 25-year-old female firefighter also received treatment at the scene and was taken to hospital after suffering a serious head injury on duty.
The Pacific Palisades inferno has been burning for more than 12 hours now and has showed no signs of letting up, tearing through more than 2,900 acres of Los Angeles land at an extraordinary rate.
In fact, a windstorm is set to bring the worst conditions in a decade to the area, further fanning the flames and magnifying the risk.
Meanwhile a new fire has since broken out near Pasadena and Altadena in Eaton Canyon, diverting resources and forcing first responders to fight the fire on two fronts.
The fast-moving brush fire has already spread more than 400 acres and authorities are particularly concerned for 550 homes nearby which are difficult to reach.
Late into the evening, new reports revealed that a third, belligerent wildfire started burning in Sun Valley.
The Reel Inn, an iconic 36-year-old seafood restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway, was razed when the fire reached Malibu.
Owners Teddy and Andy Leonard shared a heartbreaking update to Instagram on Tuesday, revealing they were 'heartbroken and unsure of what will be left.'
'Hopefully the state parks will let us rebuild when the dust settles,' they added. 'All staff are safe.'
Throughout the night, the scanner picked up repeated requests for additional resources and warnings of rescue teams 'running thin' on supplies, particularly water.
The celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades has been largely reduced to rubble, while hotspot Calabasas, home to the Kardashians, is on high alert.
Actor Chris Pratt, who lives in Pacific Palisades with his wife and children, asked for prayers as Los Angeles continues to burn.
'Please send prayers and strength tonight to everyone in Los Angeles affected by these devastating fires,' he wrote.
'Thank you to the brave firefighters and first responders who are working tirelessly to protect lives, homes, and wildlife as they battle fast-moving wildfire fueled by fierce winds.'
'You are true heroes, and we are endlessly grateful for your sacrifice and courage.'
Hellish photos from the inferno's epicenter show once-decadent million-dollar homes completely obliterated by the wildfire. A spiral staircase and opulent art gallery wall were seen burned to cinders.
Las Lomas Avenue in the Palisades was reportedly caught in the direct line of fire, and witnesses say 'dozens' of homes on that street alone 'are gone.'
Residents have shared horror stories about their daring escapes, with three-hour gridlocks on the road out and mad dashes to rescue animals and designer goods.
As brave firefighters battle the inferno on three fronts, the Los Angeles Fire Department has issued an urgent call out for any off-duty officers to help out.
According to scanners in the area, those on the ground battling the intense blaze are starting to experience shortages in their supplies, particularly water.
Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson declared a state of emergency on Tuesday night - while warning that the worst of the windstorm is 'yet to come.' Gov. Gavin Newsom also declared a state-wide emergency.
Evacuation orders have also now been extended to parts of Santa Monica.
With panicked residents fleeing on foot, the city enlisted bulldozers to rid the streets of the deserted, flashy cars and clear a path for first responders to access the hills, where the fire is raging.
Teslas, BMWs, Porches, and Mercedes were all filmed being dozed out of the way on Tuesday afternoon - as terrified millionaire locals said that the natural disaster felt like an all-encompassing 'tornado of fire.'
President Joe Biden revealed late on Tuesday night he'd been briefed on the fires and was in touch with both state and local officials.
'I have offered any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire,' he wrote on X.
'Earlier tonight, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to support areas that are impacted and help reimburse the state of California for the immediate firefighting costs.
'My Administration will do everything it can to support the response. I urge the residents of the Pacific Palisades and the surrounding areas of Los Angeles to stay vigilant and listen to local officials.'
Amid the hellish backdrop of the apocalyptic inferno, evacuation notices were placed along the affluent coastal region, with a chilling warning which read: 'Immediate threat to life.
'This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is lawfully closed to public access.'
Firefighter David Ortiz reiterated the urgent warning: 'Do not stand in the way of this fire. This is pretty much the worst possible scenario for a firefight.'
Horrific images coming out of the coveted zip code showed millionaire homes completely burned out - with structures crumbling to the ground while being engulfed in flames.
Brave firefighters attempted to breach the blaze which jumped from home to home.
The windstorm poses a massive problem, making the inferno life-threatening - while being the most damaging since 2011. LA officials have said that the wildstorm is only set to get worse as we head into Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Marrone also had a stern warning for residents on Tuesday night, telling them: 'we are not out of danger.'
'The National Weather Service has predicted that the winds are going to pick up and get worse,' Marrone said.
'We're going to have the most significant wind event between 10 p.m. [PST] this evening and 5 a.m. tomorrow morning.'
The National Weather Service has warned residents to expect more carnage tonight with wind gusts reaching 50 mph.
Emmy Award winning actor James Woods, 77, was among high-profile residents forced to flee on Tuesday.
He shared a video of the blaze near his home as he prepared to evacuate.
'Standing in my driveway ready to evacuate. We've got a lot of planes going over dropping water,' he said. 'S**t.'
In the video, it appeared as though a house further up on the hills had already been engulfed in flames.
'We were blessed to have LA fire and police depts doing their jobs so well,' he later said.
'We are safe and out. There are several elementary schools in our neighborhood and there was an enormous community effort to evacuate the children safely. Can not speak more highly of the LA fire and LAPD.'
Jonathan Vigliotti posted a video of a car burning uncontrollably in a driveway on X on Tuesday afternoon.
'Come on, guys!' he called, his voice filled with fear. 'We got to go!'
'We were in a neighborhood as it went up in flames. Mass panic in the streets, and the worst of the wind will hit the Palisades Fire tonight,' he wrote on X.
The 2,900-acre bush fire was first reported around 10:30am on Tuesday and authorities have described the flames as a blowtorch.
Initially, it was said to be 200 acres, but jumped to 300 and then up to 770 within 30 minutes.
Now, it is encompassing 2,900 acres and destroying over 'three football fields' of land every sixty seconds.
