LOS ANGELES: The Hollywood premieres of "Unstoppable" and "Wolf Man" have been cancelled as 30,000 people were ordered to evacuate a rapidly growing wind-driven wildfire in California, reported German news agency dpa.
Residents of the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, home to numerous A-list celebrities, were urged by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services to "don’t wait, evacuate” as a blaze consumed over 1,200 acres within five hours.
"Los Angeles is currently experiencing an extreme fire weather condition with red flag alert," the Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley said during a press briefing.
"The fire is being fuelled by a combination of strong winds and surrounding topography, which is making it extremely challenging for our personnel that are assigned to this incident."
She confirmed there had been no injuries, but multiple structures had been damaged in the blaze which saw more than 250 firefighters - including 46 engines and five helicopters - on the scene.
The rapidly growing fire led to event cancellations in hollywood, including the premiere of monster tale "Wolf Man", starring Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott.
The star-studded premiere of "Unstoppable", a biopic of US wrestler Anthony Robles who won a national championship with one leg, was also cancelled following the evacuation orders.
During the press briefing, Governor Gavin Newsom thanked US President Joe Biden for offering help amid the blaze, with a federal emergency declaration "being drafted as we speak”.
"By no stretch of the imagination are we out of the woods," Newsom said.
Plumes of thick black smoke billowed over miles of traffic jams as residents attempted to flee, with US officials shutting down sections of the Pacific Coast Highway, according to the California Department of Transportation.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles City Fire Department said in a statement: "People in the area of Palisades need to evacuate now due to a rapidly moving wildfire.
"Pack all people and pets into your vehicle and leave the area immediately.
"If you are not in the mandatory evacuation zone, stay off the roads to allow first responders and evacuees to move quickly.”
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said southern California is facing a "critical” weather event as "strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity” were causing "extreme wildfire risks”.
Forecasters from the National Weather Service for Los Angeles warned of "life-threatening, destructive” gusts that could last for days, bringing extreme fire risk to areas that have not seen substantial rain for many months. -- BERNAMA-dpa
