'LIKE A WAR ZONE'

When gas canisters in his neighbors' homes began exploding under the heat of the flames, Mr. Kevin Williams knew it was time to run.

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“The wind whipped up, the flames were up about 30 or 40 feet (9m to 12m) high, and you hear ‘pop, pop, pop.’ It sounded like a war zone,” Mr. Williams told Reuters at an evacuation center in Pasadena.

At least five people have died since several fast-growing wildfires erupted on Jan. 7 near Los Angeles, destroying hundreds of buildings, scorching hillsides and prompting more than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes.

The biggest blaze has consumed more than 4,775ha in Pacific Palisades, a wealthy neighborhood in west Los Angeles.

Another fire started in Eaton Canyon in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains, north of Los Angeles. It has since spread to 4,290ha, shocking residents like Mr. Williams, who lives in the sleepy suburb of Altadena.