Officials are being asked about the traffic jam that made it difficult for people to evacuate.

Fire Chief Crowley says that residents should have made preparations to leave before the order to evacuate went out.

The moment when the order went out "is that very important point where the public can and should heed that warning and start to evacuate".

She notes that the evacuation was "slow", but that it did ultimately succeed in getting people out of danger.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is now speaking to reporters and noting the sheer destruction caused by this blaze. He says there are "not a few, but many structures already destroyed" and the fire is still growing.

He notes the importance of listening to emergency officials when told to evacuate, especially in weather conditions like this where the winds are making the blaze harder to predict.

The fire department is holding a press conference, which you can click watch live at the top of this page to follow along.

We'll keep bringing you text updates. Stick with us.

Officials continue to brief media even as plumes of smoke rise over the hills behind them.

"It may be some time before people are allowed to return to their homes," says City Councilwoman Traci Park.

Park, who represents the area currently on fire, says that it could be several days before the situation is under control.

"We expect the situation to continue through the evening," says Park, adding that her constituents should contact her office directly if they need assistance.

Officials said earlier in this press conference that around 30,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders.

Image source, reut

Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who is acting mayor due to Mayor Karen Bass being out of town, says the city is declaring a state of emergency over the blaze.

He says the city is "well prepared" but the declaration will help free up resources, personnel and funds.

The acting mayor urges people in the area to remain off the road if possible to allow emergency vehicles room to quickly get through the typically jammed roads of Los Angeles.

He says "the worst and most severe part of this wind event is yet to come."

LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath is speaking now.

"We're dedicating every resource we can to urgently contain this fire," says the top politician.

She mentions that some schools are being relocated due to the fire.

"I know today is terrifying and it is painful. Please know that you are not alone," she says, as the wind whips her hair.

The Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, whose agency is helping fight the blaze in the Pacific Palisades, says the area is "not out of danger" and things could worsen throughout the region.

He notes the forecast predicts winds getting stronger this evening. "The winds are going to get worse," he says.

LA County Sheriff Jim McDonnell says that the fire "will get worse throughout the night".

He asks the community to move their cars from the street, to allow rescue crews to reach the fire.

"Please do everything you can to open up these streets," he says.

LA's fire chief Kristin Crowley says the blaze has grown to more than 1,260 acres and is growing based on aerial reconnaissance.

It had previously been reported as 12,000 acres but is now clarified by officials as 1,262 acres.

She says the fire is being fuelled by the fierce winds and the dry, brush area. She says it has been "extremely challenging for our personnel that are assigned".

There are 250 firefighters at the scene, with helicopters, fire engines and more.

Over 30,000 people are under evacuation orders, she says.

Over 10,000 houses as well as 13,000 buildings are under threat.

No injuries have yet been reported.

The news conference begins with fire chief Kristin Crowley, who notes that the fire was first reported at 10:30PST.

At the time, the winds were about 25mph, with gusts up to 50mph, she says. It was initially reported as 10 acres.

Officials "went into an aggressive attack," she says.

As the officials are speaking, plumes of grey and white smoke rise over the hill behind them.

The press conference is being held at the Will Rogers State Beach, as sun begins to set.

The fire department is holding a press conference, which you can click watch live at the top of this page to follow along.

We'll also bring you text updates. Stick with us.

The famously dry Santa Ana winds are continuing to pick up speed, growing faster and faster, according to weather officials.

A forecast bulletin from the National Weather Service notes that the "winds will peak this evening through Wednesday morning".

Gusts of up to 100mph (160km/h) are forecast to hit the Santa Monica mountains this evening.

Note: This number has since been corrected by authorities to 1,200 acres.

The latest update from CalFire says that 12,062 acres are currently on fire.

Only about one hour ago, the state fire agency reported just over 770 acres.

The fire has ballooned in size, after initially being reported as only 20 acres earlier today.

Authorities are planning to hold a press conference in about 10 minutes - at 15:30 PST (23:30 GMT).

We're expecting to hear from the Los Angeles Fire Department and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

You can watch the news conference by clicking the watch live arrow at the top of this page.

Christal Hayes
Reporting from Los Angeles

If you're just joining us, here's the latest on the fire in the Pacific Palisades community in Los Angeles, California.

• The rapidly growing fire started about 10:30 local time and has now scorched more than 770 acres. Images show vehicles and homes on fire. It's unclear if any injuries have been reported and the totality of the damage is unknown
• The fire has been fuelled by fierce a fierce windstorm - the Santa Ana winds - that is bringing gusts as strong as 80 mph to 100 mph. Much of the state is under a red flag warning, meaning the fire threat is high
• The fire has cornered the Pacific Palisades area, a remote and highly populated community near the Santa Monica mountains that borders the Pacific Ocean. The main route out of the area is using the iconic Pacific Coast Highway
• Residents have been complaining about heavy traffic on main roads that snake through the community. Some have deserted their vehicles as flames moved toward roads along evacuation routes, which are now being bulldozed to provide routes for evacuees and fire crews

One Pacific Palisades resident who spoke to ABC News, external said she felt like she was in a "horror movie" as she fled the fire on foot with her pet cat in her arms.

The woman, who did not give her name, said she rushed back home from her job in Hollywood once she heard about the evacuations.

After abandoning her car, she rushed to her house to grab her cat. While running to safety, she said that flaming pieces of palm tree fell onto her.

"I'm getting hit with palm leaves on fire, I ran into a car," she said.

"It's terrifying. It's like a horror movie. I'm screaming and crying going down the street."

Image source, EPA

A new photograph shows a home burning in the Pacific Pallisades.

As me mentioned earlier, we do not yet have an official number of homes or vehicles destroyed in the fire.

But the images coming to us from the area suggest at least two buildings and two cars have been engulfed in flames.

The fire department is expected to give an update later today.

Image source, EPA

Christal Hayes
Reporting from Los Angeles

Residents have been expressing frustrations about evacuating the Pacific Palisades area.

This Los Angeles community hugs the Pacific Ocean and is fairly difficult to reach. There are a few main roads that snake through the community, namely Sunset Boulevard, and really only one main route in and out - the Pacific Coast Highway.

Residents are under a mandatory evacuation but traffic is gridlocked and some have ditched their vehicles in the traffic near Sunset Boulevard as flames approached.

Earlier, one resident told CBS, the BBC's US news partner, that at the moment, it was worthless to try to leave and the "safest place was just to stay right here". The man said he packed up his car and was ready to leave. He said he hosed down his home and yard to try to prevent embers.

One resident named Melanie told KTLA she tried to get out but the path was filled with flames and she was forced back home. The woman said she was trying to take Palisades Drive down to the Pacific Coast Highway and had to whip "a very fast U-turn because there were flames coming down the hill to the road".

"I would have been driving right into the fire," she remarked, noting she had to go back to her home. "We're stuck up here. I don't see any flames but I know they're close by."