Flames are racing along the southern California coastline as firefighters work to contain the fast-moving Woolsey Fire. The blaze has so far scorched 150 square miles on the outskirts of Los Angeles and killed two people, whose burned bodies were found in a car in a Malibu driveway on Friday.
The fire was 35% contained as of Tuesday morning.
The Woolsey Fire is just one of the thousands of California wildfires recorded this year. Nearby, another blaze – the Hill Fire – burned over 4,500 acres in Ventura County before firefighters reached 90% containment of that blaze on Tuesday. And in the north, the destructive Camp Fire has killed 42 people. The flames leveled the entire town of Paradise. Cal Fire reported it was 30% contained on Tuesday and had burned nearly 200 square miles in Butte County.
Both of the LA-area fires started Thursday afternoon, and many people had to quickly flee, leaving behind beloved homes and pets.
Here's what the devastation in southern California looks like so far.
The beach city of Malibu is home to about 13,000 people. On Friday, as flames from the Woolsey Fire raced towards the coast, the entire town was forced to evacuate.
Shortly after noon on Friday, the City of Malibu said on its website that the fire was "burning out of control," and warned: "All residents must evacuate immediately."
Source: Business Insider
On Friday, firefighters went door to door urging people in Malibu to leave. In total, more than 275,000 people were forced to evacuate Woolsey's flames. The Pacific Coast Highway was turned into a 4-lane one-way road to safety.
Sources: ABC, City of Malibu
Celebrities including Alyssa Milano, Jessica Simpson, Gerard Butler, Guillermo del Toro, Miley Cyrus, and the Kardashian sisters all had to leave their homes.
Milano said she packed up her "kids, dogs, computer," and Doc Marten boots and headed for shelter.
Butler tweeted a photo of his charred home, with a vehicle in his driveway reduced to a blackened shell.
As of Tuesday morning, the Woolsey Fire had burned more than 150 square miles. The blaze was 35% contained.
Source: Cal Fire
The LA County Sheriff's Department said a "very significant number of homes" had already been damaged or destroyed by Friday night.
Source: VCFD PIO
By Monday evening, Cal Fire estimated that 435 buildings had been destroyed in Woolsey, most of them homes.
Source: Cal Fire
In addition to hitting Malibu mansions, the Woolsey Fire is burning some Los Angeles mobile home parks.
Source: Associated Press
In the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area, a movie set called "Western Town" that was used in the popular show Westworld burned to the ground, according to the National Park Service.
Source: Twitter
Strong Santa Ana winds that blew from the state’s interior toward the coast have fanned Woolsey's flames. About 620 fire engines and 22 helicopters are fighting the blaze.
Source: Associated Press, Cal Fire
Huge plumes of smoke, powered by the Santa Ana winds, could be seen around Los Angeles.
Source: Associated Press
The windy conditions persist. On Monday morning, the National Weather Service issued high wind warnings and red flag warnings for many areas around LA, including Malibu. Wind speeds are expected to reach 40-50 mph on the coast and up to 60 mph in the mountains.
Source: National Weather Service, LA office
Aircraft were brought into the area to drop lines of fire retardant.
Source: Associated Press
Meanwhile, in northern California, residents of Paradise fled for their lives. The Camp Fire has killed at least 42 people, making it the deadliest in state history. Hundreds of others are missing. Current estimates suggest 6,522 homes and 260 businesses have been destroyed.
Source: Business Insider, Associated Press, New York Times
These fires are part of a trend: Wildfires are getting bigger and stronger as the planet heats up. A lack of precipitation has left vegetation in California extremely dry, which helped the fires grow.
Source: Business Insider, Associated Press
The biggest blaze in California history came earlier this year — the Mendocino Complex fire burned down nearly 460,000 acres.
On its website, LA County says there's no such thing as a wildfire season anymore — "fire season is now year-round."
Source: LA County
