Early Wednesday, multiple wildfires tore through the Los Angeles area with devastating force, driving residents to flee burning homes amid flames, fierce winds, and thick smoke. Thousands of firefighters struggled to contain at least three separate blazes spanning the region, from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena. Strong winds grounded firefighting aircraft, intensifying the challenge.

Images from the overnight destruction revealed luxurious homes reduced to ashes as flaming embers swirled through the air. Palm trees bent under the force of winds, silhouetted against a glowing red sky.

One fire that ignited near a nature preserve in the foothills northeast of LA spread so quickly that staff at a senior living center had to push wheelchair-bound and bedridden residents into a parking lot. Elderly evacuees, including a 102-year-old, waited in nightclothes amid falling embers until emergency vehicles arrived to transport them to safety.

In Pacific Palisades, a fire that began hours earlier engulfed the hillside neighborhood, home to celebrity residences and iconic locations like those mentioned in the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’ USA.” The blaze triggered mass evacuations, with roadways becoming impassable as people abandoned cars and fled on foot, carrying pets and luggage.

Sheriece Wallace recounted discovering the danger only after her sister called during a water drop near her home. “I thought it was raining,” Wallace said. “She told me, ‘No, your neighborhood is on fire.’” As she opened her door, the fire was dangerously close. “The wind hit me, and I knew I had to leave,” she added.

Emergency responders faced significant challenges, including a traffic jam on Palisades Drive that blocked their access. Bulldozers had to clear abandoned vehicles, allowing fire crews to push through. Along the Pacific Coast Highway, videos showed homes and businesses devastated by flames.

Kelsey Trainor, a Pacific Palisades resident, described being trapped as the only road out of her neighborhood was engulfed by fire. “Ash was everywhere, and flames were on both sides of the road,” she said. “People were crying, carrying babies and dogs as they fled.”

Another fire erupted late Tuesday night in Sylmar, the northernmost neighborhood in Los Angeles, prompting immediate evacuations. Early Wednesday, a fourth fire was reported in Coachella, Riverside County. The causes of these fires are under investigation.

Santa Ana winds, reaching up to 80 mph (129 kph) early Wednesday and potentially exceeding 100 mph (160 kph) in mountainous areas, fueled the flames. The region’s prolonged dry conditions have left vegetation vulnerable, further escalating the crisis.

California’s wildfire season, traditionally spanning summer and fall, has increasingly extended into winter due to climate change. Rising temperatures and delayed rainfall have exacerbated fire risks, allowing wildfires to persist year-round.

While January wildfires remain rare, recent years have seen a growing number of off-season fires, signaling the intensifying impact of climate change on the state’s fire patterns.