Mass evacuations in Los Angeles as deadly wildfires wreak havoc

Fast-moving wildfires have torn through several neighbourhoods of Los Angeles, killing at least two people and incinerating more than 1,000 buildings in what was described as an "unprecedented" blaze in the city.

- Oliver Holmes, Dani Anguiano and Gabrielle Canon

The disaster began on Tuesday, when a powerful windstorm fanned the flames of a fire in the scenic Pacific Palisades neighbourhood.

The emergency intensified overnight as firefighters struggled to contain the flames in the intense winds during what one official described as among the "most devastating and terrifying nights" in the city's history.

By the next morning, the authorities had dispatched firefighters from across California to aid in tackling at least four blazes besieging the region.

Officials said yesterday they were "prioritising life over everything else" in their response.

About 70,000 people were ordered to evacuate their homes, and more than 13,000 buildings from the affluent neighbourhoods on the city's west overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the hillside suburbs in the east are under threat. Officials said the flames had left some people with significant injuries.

Efforts to contain the fires are being hindered by a "life-threatening" windstorm affecting a large swath of southern California.

In some parts of Los Angeles, the evacuation effort has been frenzied as residents rush to the few roads leading out of communities.

The flames were moving so quickly in some areas that residents were forced to abandon cars and flee on foot, later leading to jammed roads that emergency services had to clear in order to get through.