Hurricane-Force Wind Gusts of 100 MPH Fuel Inferno as 30,000 Evacuate Around Los Angeles

Wildfires are burning out of control in Los Angeles County where neighborhoods are engulfed in flames and more than 30,000 people are under evacuation orders.

A windstorm with gusts near 100 miles an hour is feeding the fires. So far, firefighters have been unable to contain the inferno as the hurricane-force winds fuel the inferno in southern California.

Three fires are racing there, burning the equivalent of five football fields per minute, consuming thousands of acres and zero-percent contained. 

Overnight, firefighters battled a fire in the coastal town of Pacific Palisades. At least 13,000 structures are in danger. Pastor Greg Laurie is calling for prayer for residents of the region:

We are facing powerful and devastating fires in the Pacific Palisades area of Southern California right now. Over 30,000 residents have had to flee their homes! Let’s come together in prayer for the brave firefighters battling this inferno. Pray for their safety, strength, and… pic.twitter.com/99SlY7wnUL

— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) January 8, 2025

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you receive the latest news updates from a Christian perspective.***

The fire has consumed homes, a high school, and a theater.

The severe wind is grounding the Fire Department's planes and helicopters, making it more difficult to fight the flames.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said, "The fire is being fueled by combination of strong winds and surrounding topography, which is making it extremely challenging for our personnel that are assigned to this incident."

With so many people under mandatory evacuation orders, cars have jammed the streets for hours, blocking a quick exit.

On the famed Sunset Boulevard, drivers left their vehicles and fled on foot when firefighters told them, "If you want to live, get out and run."

"We got in the car to go and the cars were abandoned. So I just had to get out of the car and keep walking," one driver said.

A bulldozer then had to push the cars out of the way so fire trucks could get through.

In the hills above Pasadena, 80-mile-per-hour wind gusts are fanning another fire. 

"It sounds like a train..ahhhh!" one resident exclaimed.

Staff at a senior care center in Altadena had to evacuate residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds. Pushing them down the street to a parking lot where ambulances waited to take them to safety. 

About 1,400 firefighters have been deployed, and the high winds are expected to ease off later today, but windy conditions will remain in coming days as the fires continue to burn out of control.