Two brush fires broke out in Los Angeles on Tuesday, as Southern California faces “life-threatening” wind conditions that are fanning the flames, according to city officials.
One of the fires erupted at a house in the 8400 block of West Sunset Boulevard and spread to the brush in the Hollywood Hills, KNX news reported.
Firefighters were able to halt forward progress of the brush fire, which threatened buildings in the area, NBC Los Angeles reported. Smoke could be seen across the Hollywood area from the fire, which is estimated to span approximately 3 acres, according to the report.
Details about the cause of the fire were not immediately available, the outlet said.
A second much larger fire — about 200 acres — has erupted in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. The fire was reported before 11:00 a.m. local time and prompted evacuations in the area.
According to NBC News, a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” (PDS) Red Flag warning has been issued for 19 million people in the region, including the Los Angeles metropolitan area. This kind of warning applies “in rare situations when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible,” according to the National Weather Service.
Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak documented the blaze while evacuating the area:
The fire is threatening homes and causing major traffic backups as residents try to evacuate, according to NBC Los Angeles. The Associated Press reports the blaze forced students at three campuses in the area to relocate.
The infernos come as parts of Southern California, from Santa Barabra down to the Mexico border, are under red flag warnings for high winds and a high risk of fires due to a strong Santa Ana windstorm.