Image source, AFP

The magnitude of the fires tearing through parts of LA and other parts of California has been captured in footage that is being sent in to us in the newsroom.

Homes are shown being engulfed by flames as firefighters battle in vain to try and save them. In one clip, huge tongues of flame rip through a beautiful two-storey home:

Senior citizens, some in hospital beds, could be seen lining the streets outside an elderly care facility in Pasadena after being evacuated.

Meanwhile, a bulldozer was used to clear nearly 200 abandoned cars, making way for firefighters:

Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist

Earlier I mentioned how the strong winds are being caused by a weather pattern called the "Santa Ana winds".

This occurs when there is a large area of high pressure situated to Nevada and Utah, which in turn results in a strong easterly wind around Arizona and Southern California.

As this wind flows over the top of higher ground to the east of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Diego, it dries the air out and speeds up on the western side, funnelling down the hill toward the more populated city areas.

Santa Ana winds can often reach speeds of 60-80mph (97-129kmh) and are the primary reason for an increase in fire danger, as the dry winds take moisture out of the vegetation. Once a fire ignites, the winds will easily spread it.

We're getting new images now of the fires that are raging in Los Angeles. Fires are consuming homes and businesses - and are a particular threat in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighbourhood.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

The LA premiere of Robbie Williams biopic Better Man has been cancelled due to the fires, US media reports.

"Due to the dangerous conditions affecting Los Angeles we are cancelling tomorrow’s [Wednesday's] premiere of Better Man," a spokesperson for Paramount Pictures says.

"Our thoughts are with those impacted by the devastating fires resulting from these conditions, and we encourage everyone to stay safe and follow guidance and orders from local officials and government agencies."

The Hollywood premieres of both Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez, and the Ryan Gosling-produced Wolf Man had already been cancelled due to the fires.

The ceremony announcing the nominees for this year's Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) has also been cancelled "in an abundance of caution for the safety of our presenters, guests and staff", the guild says, external.

The nominees will instead be unveiled in press releases on Wednesday

Image source, Getty Images

The Getty Villa Museum, a popular art museum, will be closed from Wednesday, it says in a post on X.

"In an abundance of caution and to keep roads clear in the surrounding areas, the Getty Center will be closed tomorrow January 8," the post states, adding that it will remain closed from Wednesday through Monday Jan 13. Staff are closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates when available.

We reported earlier that a fire was burning on the grounds of the museum but had not damaged the building, according to Los Angeles fire officials.

The museum has an extensive collection of artworks and artefacts, including paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, as well as many classical Greek and Roman sculptures.

Image source, Reuters

Good morning from London. If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know this morning.

A massive fire is spreading through parts of Los Angeles. Dramatic scenes are unfolding as people flee from homes engulfed in flames and large plumes of smoke rise across the city.

A state of emergency has been declared across the city.

There are three wildfires burning:

• The fire in the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood - home to many celebrities - has spread to more than 3,000 acres
• A fire above Altadena, near the Eaton Canyon, is growing
• Fifty acres are burning in the Sylmar suburbs, where a mandatory evacuation has been ordered as firefighters said the flames are growing rapidly

California's fire agency has warned there is an immediate threat to life in some areas. At least 30,000 people have been told to evacuate their homes and some roads have been gridlocked with traffic jams. Videos show cars abandoned in the middle of the streets being pushed aside by bulldozers so that firefighters can access the area.

Stay with us through the day as we bring you the latest.

Regan Morris
BBC News, Los Angeles

Image source, Reuters

We are used to wildfires here in Los Angeles. I have been here over 20 years and I have never experienced a day quite like this. The massive fire in the Palisades is still raging completely out of control and firefighters had enough problems trying to tackle that blaze.

There are three massive wildfires burning very close to densely populated areas.

I have spoken to people without power, they drive in their cars until they get a signal, and they are not sure what to do. People here don't know if they should go to sleep because they won't know if they should evacuate. They can see flames - but is it too close, and when is it too close? They have pets, they have children, they don't know where to go.

The wind is whipping through Los Angeles and that is what's fuelling all these blazes and making them burn out of control. The fire services are very strapped and have called for anyone on vacation or leave to state their availability and come back.

It is really wild here.

Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist

Image source, Reuters

Winds have been steadily increasing through the night with the most recent observations showing gusts of up to 60-70mph over the higher ground towards the Angeles National Forest and Santiago Peak.

These very dry winds coming from the mountains to the north and east and down to the coast of Los Angeles are called the "Santa Ana winds".

And at the coast, wind gusts in the last couple of hours have been up to 40-50mph (64-80kmh). Around Pacific Palisades they have been up to 55mph (89kmh).

These winds are forecast to remain high, perhaps reaching 80-100mph (129-160kmh) over the higher ground and fanning the flames down towards the more populated areas around Los Angeles.

How have you been affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles? If it's safe to do so, please reach out. You can share your stories, photos and videos. You can get in touch in the following ways:

• Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk, external
• WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803
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A third brush fire has broken out in Los Angeles.

The fire in Sylmar, a suburban neighbourhood in the San Fernando Valley, was first reported at 22:10 local time (06:10 GMT) and has already burned 100 acres of brush.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for people living north of the 210 Freeway, from Roxford Street to the Interstate 5 / 14 split.

Amrita Khalid, a journalist who lives in coastal city of Santa Monica, evacuated a short while ago. She tells BBC World Service's Newsday radio programme that the day began like any other.

"I can't stress to you how normal this morning was in Santa Monica. It just seemed like another nice winter morning. But then, I was walking home from the gym and I just noticed big black billowing clouds of smoke."

She then decided to leave her home for a safer location and says a photo of her neighbourhood that was shared with her affirmed her decision to leave.

"It looks like Mars, it looks bright red," she said. "So I'm kind of glad I left. I think better be safe than sorry."

Although wildfires are "a daily reality of living in California," she says this fire is unsettling because it's affecting more populated areas.

"Just seeing it so close, it kind of unravels you. You associate wildfires, as unfortunate as they are, with remote areas, and this one is hitting very close to home."

Image source, Julian Martinez

Image source, EPA

This map gives you some perspective on how far the Palisades fire has spread.

It covers more than 2,900 acres near Los Angeles and stretches down towards Santa Monica, a coastal city. The fire is fanned by gusty winds and dry conditions.

Thousands of people in the wealthy Pacific Palisades community have been forced to evacuate.

Watch these apocalyptic scenes from a Pacific Palisade neighbourhood, where the inferno has levelled homes while it rages on

At the scene, CBS reporter Jonathan Vigliotti says firefighters are no longer trying to save these structures; they are just trying their best to stop the fire from spreading.

The White House has mobilised federal resources and funding to help suppress the fires and reimburse firefighting costs, according to a statement, external from Kamala Harris.

California Governor Gavin Newsom also announced the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of vital resources to respond to the blaze in Los Angeles County.

A California native, Harris also said she was praying for "fellow Californians who have evacuated" and thanked "the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety".

Harris added that she is getting regular updates on the efforts to contain the fires and urged residents in affected areas to be vigilant and follow evacuation instructions.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, here's what you need to know about the wildfires in Los Angeles, which have been spreading ferociously since they broke out Tuesday evening:

• Strong winds fuelled a massive fire in southern California, flattening homes, overtaking roads and and forcing at least 30,000 to evacuate. The fire in Pacific Palisades exploded from 10 acres to more than 2,900 acres in mere hours
• Footage shows neighbourhoods engulfed in flames and residents abandoning their cars to flee the flames. The Los Angeles Fire Department has just posted an appeal for more help from off-duty firefighters
• A second brush fire broke out later in the evening above Altadena, near the Eaton Canyon, about 40km (26 miles) inland from the Palisades. It is also quickly growing
• At least 200,000 customers in Los Angeles county are now without power. Some school districts have announced closures due to high winds and power outages

• A state of emergency has been declared and President Joe Biden has approved the use of federal monies to support affected areas
• Millions of other people in California are under a red flag warning, meaning they are at an increased risk for large fires

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

Dozens of elderly people have been evacuated from a senior centre in Pasadena. Footage from the BBC's US partner, CBS News, shows hospital beds and wheelchairs lining the streets, and a huge law enforcement presence in the area.

A supervisor told CBS that about 95 residents from The Terraces at Park Marino have been evacuated. It is unclear where they would be taken. The centre is about two miles from Eaton Canyon, where we earlier reported that a second brush fire had been spreading.

Authorities have tried to use any available vehicles to evacuate the residents, including an armoured vehicle typically used to transport SWAT officers, CBS reported.

Image source, CBS / KCAL

The number of people left without power across LA county is rising fast.

According to the power outage tracking website, PowerOutage.us, some 200,000 customers are now affected.

In neighbouring San Bernardino county, which is also seeing the impact of the Santa Ana winds, an additional 13,600 people have also lost electricity.

It follows warnings from officials that strong winds during the night would increase the chance that trees could be knocked over, taking out power lines and blocking roadways.

Palisades Charter High School is a famous filming location in LA and has been featured in at least 30 movies and TV shows - including Carrie, The Parent Trap and Teen Wolf.

The school's alumni include prominent Hollywood figures like JJ Abrams and will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas.

Multiple reports in US media have said that flames were surrounding the school property, including this video, external posted on X by reporter Matthew Seedorff.

It was unclear, as darkness fell, if the school had burned down entirely.

The Los Angeles Times quoted an advisor to a school board member as saying that the baseball field and tennis courts were on fire, adding that it was not confirmed if the classroom bungalows had been burned down.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's a video of a local television reporter, Elise Martinez with KCBS, who is reporting live near the Pacific Coast Highway.

"We headed down PCH and they're closing off a lot of the streets there," she says.

Martinez speaks to a resident who is evacuating when the interview is interrupted by a gust of wind that blows over a fence, almost hitting the man.

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said in a statement on X, external that authorities have declared a state of emergency to "amplify our response to this devastating fire and clear a path for a rapid recovery".

"The City is working AGGRESSIVELY to confront this emergency," she said, thanking firefighters and first responders who have been working to counter the blaze.

"To the thousands of families impacted by this horrific fire – the City of Los Angeles is providing resources and shelter as this fire continues," she added.