LA fires spread as 49,000 people told to evacuate

A firefighter battles the LA fire as it burns during a windstorm

Fire crews are tackling four large wildfires in the US city of Los Angeles, where 49,000 people have been told to evacuate.

The first reported fire spread quickly through the foothills of the Pacific Palisades, an area where many celebrities have their homes as emergency services helped people move to safety.

A state of emergency has been declared by the governor of California who told residents to "stay vigilant, take all necessary precautions, and follow local emergency guidance."

More than 1,400 firefighters are now working to contain the blazes with "multiple reports" of damage to buildings in the area.

Several schools in LA will be closed on Wednesday due to the fires and high winds in the area. Some have said lessons will be moved online.

'Extreme fire weather'

Kristin Crowley, fire chief at the Los Angeles Fire Department, described conditions as "extremely challenging" due to "extreme fire weather".

The first fire broke out in a back garden at about 10:30am LA time (18:30 UK time) in the Palisades area on Tuesday. Fanned by 40mph winds and dry conditions it has spread quickly to the size of more than 3,000 football pitches.

Fire crews are also tackling three other fires spreading quickly north of the city.

A fifth smaller blaze, 60 miles south-east of LA, in Riverside, has been "100% contained", officials there say.

Two people have died as a result of the wildfires and others are injured.

The LA Fire Department has posted an appeal for more help from off-duty firefighters in the area.

Current US president Joe Biden, who is in California for an event a few miles away from the fire, has encouraged residents in fire-affected areas to remain vigilant and listen to the warnings of local officials.

"My administration will do everything it can to support the response," the president said.

Announcing resources and extra funding for the LA Fire Department, current US vice-president, Kamala Harris, who is from California, said she was praying for "fellow Californians who have evacuated" and thanked "the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety".

Millions of people in the state of California are now under a red flag warning, meaning there is an extreme fire danger, as emergency services work to contain the blaze.

The fires are now so large that smoke and flames can be seen from miles away.

The fire has also caused power cuts in LA, with up to 200,000 properties reported as being affected.

A famous school, Palisades Charter High School, used as a LA filming location in at least 30 movies and TV shows has also caught fire, with reports that it has burned down.

The building is empty following the evacuation of the area, and the school's website says it is closed - urging pupils and their families to avoid the area.

And The Getty Villa Museum, a popular art museum which has a collection of artworks and artefacts - including paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, as well as Greek and Roman sculptures - has closed until next week, with fire currently burning on the grounds of the museum.

Why do wildfires happen?

Los Angeles is in the state of California is on America's west coast, and although it can be warm all year round, temperatures during the daytime this week have been recorded as being around 20 degrees celsius.

However, long periods of dry weather and a lack of rain make fires more likely.

The weather doesn't necessarily need to be hot to start a grass or wildfire. Any burning spark can be the cause of a blaze if conditions are dry.

High winds in Los Angeles have also seen the flames spread quickly.

The winds known as the 'Santa Ana winds' flow inland towards the coast. They can happen lots of times throughout the year and have been known to happen on over 20 occasions during some years.

But when combined with wildfires they can cause flames to spread at great speed.

The other weather factor causing the fires to spread is humidity – or how dry the air is - which is also very low at the moment at 10-20%.

But this is likely to fall even further to 5-10% after sunrise in Los Angeles. So, it will get even drier.

'This time of year traditionally has not been fire season'

Strong winds bend palm trees as they fan the flames and spread the fire further

Fires at this time of year, during winter in California are rare, but state governor Gavin Newsom said they're becoming increasingly common.

"This time of year traditionally has not been fire season," Newsom said in a video posted on social media site X, adding that there is no longer a fire season and "It's year-round in the state of California."

Experts say that rising global temperatures caused by climate change are having an impact on California's vulnerability to fire, even if a warming climate is not a direct cause.