BBCAs California firefighters battled three different fires in and around Los Angeles, residents of the upscale suburb of Palisades told the BBC how they fled the approaching flames.
Pacific Palisades resident David Lat said he and his wife had just 10 minutes to get important documents and family photos before they were stuck in traffic for two hours as they tried to escape.
Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Lat said he was not aware of the fires until a neighbour warned him.
“I didn't even know what he was talking about until I went out and saw, about four blocks up the hill, a really big plume of black smoke. Then I realized, 'Oh, we need to get out of here!'”
Most people are aware of the need to pack a “little bag” containing important documents such as passports and other essential items, Latt said. He wanted to make sure he had “all the receipts we needed to file our taxes…and we collected more family photos, albums, and artwork, so we could get in our cars.”
After gathering their most important possessions, he took a minute to photograph the forest fires from his roof and check the direction of the wind. When he realized the wind was blowing in his direction, he knew it was time to act, just minutes after receiving the warning.
Although access to and from his area is limited to only one road, Lat said they remained stuck in a traffic jam for two hours as they tried to escape.
Bordering Malibu, Pacific Palisades is a haven of hillside streets and winding roads that set against the Santa Monica Mountains and stretch to beaches along the Pacific Ocean.
Mr. Lat isn't sure what happened to his house, and doesn't think they'll know more for at least a day; Very strong winds are expected later Wednesday night into Thursday, which could fan the flames and ignite more fires throughout Los Angeles.
“What we know from experience is that even though firefighters do a great job putting out burning areas, some sparks still remain…they get picked up by the wind, carrying embers that can travel across the street or a mile away,” Lat said. “That's what's worrying in Los Angeles tonight.”
He added that the speed with which he saw firefighting planes in the sky gave him some confidence in the “scary situation.”
In Palisades, firefighters asked people to get out of their cars as the fire approached, fanned by winds that sometimes reached 100 mph (160 km/h).
“The fire directly targeted the cars,” Marsha Horowitz, a resident of the city, told the BBC.
Celebrities were also among those fleeing.
Schitt's Creek actor Eugene Levy lives in the area and told local media he had to evacuate his home. “The smoke looked very black and intense over the Temescal Valley. I couldn't see any flames but the smoke was very dark.” He told the Los Angeles Times.
Lat and his wife reached safety, but anxiety gripped the city's residents as three forest fires broke out in its northern and western suburbs.
The fires, fanned by strong winds, destroyed homes, closed roads and forced more than 30,000 people to flee.
With power cut to at least 50,000 homes, other people in affected neighborhoods kept driving until they got a signal to try to make calls or connect to the Internet, unsure of what to do.
If they go to sleep, they worry that they won't know when to evacuate. Many can see the flames from their homes, but are unsure if they are close enough to leave.
Many people have children and pets, and they are not sure where to go.
Getty ImagesJournalist Amrita Khalid lives in the coastal city of Santa Monica, which is also being evacuated.
She told the BBC World Service's Radio Newsday program that the day started like any other day.
“I can't stress to you how normal this morning was in Santa Monica. It seemed like another nice winter morning. But then, I was coming home from the gym and I just noticed big, black clouds of smoke.”
She then decided to leave her home for a safer place, and said that a photo of her neighborhood that was shared with her confirmed her decision to leave.
“It looks like Mars, it looks bright red,” she said. “So I'm kind of glad I left. I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.”
