LOS ANGELES — More than 30,000 people are under evacuation orders in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles after a wildfire picked up by extreme winds tore through the area on Tuesday evening.

Los Angeles fire chief said 10,000 homes are under threat of being destroyed by the blaze in the affluent area which is dotted by celebrity residences.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that he found "many structures already destroyed" during a visit to the impacted area, although assessed it was too early to see the extent of the damage.

Winds were expected to increase overnight in what the National Weather service has warned could be among the most "life-threatening" and strongest to hit Southern California in over a decade. The winds are fanning two fires in the Palisades and another about 40 kilometers northeast in Atladena, which has also prompted evacuation orders.

By Wednesday morning, the fire department reported a growing third fire in the area of Pasadena.

Celebrities took to social media to describe their experience of the fire, with actor James Woods posting footage of flames burning through bushes and palm trees near his home. “Standing in my driveway, getting ready to evacuate,” Woods said in the short video on X, before posting a video of flames outside his pool.

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill posted an update, saying he managed to escape his residence last minute and saw "small fires on both side of the roads."

Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday and indicated the worst might be yet to come, with strong winds expected overnight on Tuesday.

The Pacific Palisades fire has consumed around 11.5 squre kilometres of land in the Pacific Palisades neighbourdhood, located in western Los Angeles.

The fires also prompted clogged roads as residents fled to evacuate, with some jumping out of their vehicles to get out of danger.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden said he and his team are communicating with state and local officials and he has offered “any federal assistance that is needed to help suppress the terrible Pacific Palisades fire.”

The Screen Actors Guild Awards canceled its live in-person nominations announcement due to the wildfires, which will take place online instead, the organisation said in a statement.

Film studios also canceled two movie premieres due to the fire and windy weather, and the Los Angeles Unified School District said it temporarily relocated students from three campuses in the Pacific Palisades area.

Recent dry winds and a long-term lack of rain have contributed to temperatures above average in Southern California. — Euronews