Three rapidly spreading flames raced out of control today (Wednesday) near Los Angeles destroying hundreds of buildings, scorching hillsides, and forcing officials to order over 70,000 people to evacuate their homes. At least two people were killed in the chaos. The fires which have grown unchecked since they started on Tuesday were being fueled by strong winds that were impeding firefighting attempts.
The most extensive fire has engulfed almost 5,000 acres in the charming Pacific Palisades neighborhood which is home to numerous movie, TV and music celebrities and is located east of Los Angeles between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu. At a news conference on Wednesday, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone stated that over 1,000 buildings had been destroyed so far.
About 30 miles (50 km) inland in Altadena close to Pasadena another fire, the Eaton fire had spread to more than 2,000 acres. Officials stated they had no additional information although two fatalities were reported there.
