The Hollywood Hills were evacuated as the LA fire spread

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for the Hollywood Hills after wildfires spread across Los Angeles, with a firefighter saying the blaze is “spreading rapidly”.

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) said there was an “imminent threat to life” in the area and it was being legally closed to the public.

At least five fires have been activated across Los Angeles, and five people have been confirmed dead.

More than 130,000 people have already been evacuated, and the homes of several celebrities – including Paris Hilton and Billy Crystal – have been destroyed.

California fire chief David Acuna told the BBC that progress in containing the Hollywood Hills fire had been “zero” and that it was spreading rapidly.

“The wind has been blowing steadily at 60-100 mph (95-160 km/h) since yesterday morning,” Acua said. “Actually, it made it harder last night.”

Wind speeds have dropped to about 30 mph now, but Acuna added, “it’s still significant and with a lot of open areas it’s very dangerous.”

The first fire started Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, near Malibu, and was followed by others north of the city.

As of 8:15 p.m. local time (04:00 GMT), four fires in the Palisades, Pasadena, Sylmar and Hollywood Hills areas had consumed more than 27,000 acres (42 sq mi; 109 sq km) and were 0% contained. , according to the LAFD.

One fire in the Acton area was partially contained, and two others were completely contained.

In the Hollywood Hills – a residential area facing the historic Hollywood area of ​​the city – the fire started on Wednesday around 18:00.

Less than two hours later, much of the heart of Hollywood was covered in thick smoke, and the tops of the palm trees that line its streets were barely visible.

People wore sweatshirts to cover their faces to help them breathe, while others, clearly shocked by the fire, wore nothing but their pyjamas. Many were carrying bags and suitcases, talking on the phone as they made plans for where to go.

Many of the roads near the fire — including Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame — were jammed with traffic. Some people even drove on the wrong side of the road when trying to get out of the area.

Neighbor Anna Waldman told the BBC she went out to walk her dog but smelled smoke almost immediately when she went outside.

He went back inside and, looking out the back windows, saw the fire, and saw it moving quickly in what he thought was the Hollywood Hills, coming a block from his house.

He collected what he could: food, clothes, blankets, food for her three small dogs.

“I can’t believe this,” he said wearily, lowering his face mask.

Makayla Jackson, 26, and her two-year-old son, Ramari, were pulled from a homeless shelter that was in danger of burning down, and now they were on the street, waiting to go to a high school that was offering them help. the people

“They told us to get out and go,” he said.

The firefighters fighting the fire had a shortage of water and had to resort to taking water from pools and ponds.

Officials said three separate million-gallon tanks were full before the fires started, but the height of the fires meant water could not be moved quickly enough to hydrants in affected areas.

The city also doesn’t typically see fires of this magnitude — the Palisades fire is already the most destructive in its history — and its systems are designed for urban use, not firefighting.