California fire: Hollywood residents 'SHUDDER IN FEAR' as Skirball Fire threatens LA
THOMAS FIRE in Southern California continues to spread as strong winds pose "extreme danger" to properties in the Los Angeles suburbs.
Thomas Fire near Los Angeles – dubbed the Skirball fire –prompted the mandatory evacuation of residents near the world-famous Getty Center.
The blaze was fuelled by Santa Ana winds of 25mph which have propelled several devastating wildfires throughout Southern California.
The Skirball Fire, which is threatening the Los Angeles suburbs, prompted Mayor Eric Garcetti to declare a local state of emergency.
NBC LA
California firefighters warned about growing fire risks with winds forecast to reach 80mph.
NBC Los Angeles reporter Robert Kovacik said: "When you feel these winds that are coming close to knocking us over, fire crews have their work cut out for them.
"Hollywood Hills residents must be shuddering in fear when they are experiencing these winds tonight. Just a short time ago, the LAFD talking about the Skirball Fire said they are now worried that the fire could jump the 405 freeway and race west."
There are concerns stronger winds may stoke fires burning in the Los Angeles area that have already forced nearly 200,000 people to leave their homes.
The Skirball Fire has forced hundreds of residents in the wooded hills near the affluent Bel-Air neighbourhood to evacuate and charred more than 150 acres.
Homes belonging to celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Chrissy Teigen, and Rupert Murdoch's Moraga Estate winery have been evacuated as the fire spread.
In the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, the Creek Fire destroyed at least 30 homes, blackened more than 12,000 acres and forced the evacuation of 2,500 homes.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said: "We're in the middle of a weeklong red flag condition. We're not done.
Shocking photos from the wildfires in California
Fri, December 8, 2017Local emergency officials warned of powerful winds on December 7 that will feed wildfires raging in Los Angeles, threatening multi-million dollar mansions with blazes that have already forced more than 200,000 people to flee
A car drives past a large wall of approaching flames from the Lilac Fire, a fast moving wild fire in Bonsall, California
“My firefighters have been working since Sunday. Our people are getting tired."
Tim Chavez, a fire behaviour analyst for CalFire, said: "We stand a fairly good chance of a very challenging night and day.
"There's a lot of potential for some large fire growth."
Officials in California warned of they will see a "recipe for explosive fire growth" and a fire danger of 296 – a calculation based on several factors, including moisture level of dead vegetation and wind forecast.
The fire danger scale rates 162 and above as extreme, the worst and most dangerous rating.
