A massive wildfire has erupted in an upscale area of Los Angeles, USA, causing the destruction of homes and traffic congestion, while authorities have evacuated 30,000 people as smoke plumes covered most parts of the city.
Officials stated that at least 1,262 acres in the Pacific Palisades area, located between Santa Monica and Malibu, have burned after warnings of severe fire risk due to strong winds following a long period of dry weather.
Before the fire broke out, the National Weather Service issued the highest fire alert across most of Los Angeles from Tuesday to Thursday, predicting winds ranging from 80 to 130 kilometers per hour.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said that Los Angeles began moving firefighting resources from the northern part of the state to the southern part early on Saturday due to weather warnings.
Kristin Crowley, Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, mentioned that more than 25,000 people in 10,000 homes were at risk, which is approximately the population of the Pacific Palisades area, and more than 5% of the 23,431-acre area has been affected by the fire.