Tens of thousands flee as wildfires tear through Los Angeles area

8/1/2025 18:20

More than 30,000 people evacuated their homes as a wildfire tore through a coastal area of Los Angeles in just a few hours, and a second blaze some 30 miles inland was rapidly spreading on Wednesday.



Numerous buildings were destroyed and nearly 3,000 acres were burned in the upscale Pacific Palisades area between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, officials said. The area is home to many film and music stars.



Highways were jammed with people fleeing the inferno as plumes of smoke and flames rose in the sky over Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The fires has not been contained by Wednesday morning and Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.



The second blaze, dubbed the Eaton Fire, broke out some 30 miles inland in Altadena, near Pasadena, and increased in size to 1,000 acres from 200 acres in a few hours, according to Cal Fire.



Fire officials said a third blaze named the Hurst Fire had started in Sylmar, in the San Fernando Valley northwest of Los Angeles, prompting evacuations of some nearby residents.



More than 220,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles county were without power late on Tuesday.