Luxury mansions threatened as fierce California wildfires rage

LOSANGELES: Emergency officials warned of powerful winds on Thursday that will feed wildfires raging in Los Angeles, threatening multi-million dollar mansions with blazes that have already forced more than 200,000 people to flee.

Authorities issued a “purple” alert, never used before, because of the extreme danger, warning that winds could reach 128 kilometres an hour, severely limiting firefighting efforts.

“As expected, winds have increased dramatically,” Cal Fire, the agency responsible for fire protection in the state, said on Twitter. “Stay alert and prepared in case of evacuations. If you feel unsafe, evacuate.”

The flames have swallowed about 80,000 acres in just over a day since the “Thomas” fire, currently the state’s largest, broke out, leaving at least one person dead in an area about 45 minutes’ drive from downtown LA.

High winds caused another wave of wildfires to erupt on Tuesday night, including one in Los Angeles’ affluent Bel-air neighbourhood.

The area battled gridlocked traffic as residents fled ash and smoke that churned over the smoldering hillside in the secondlargest US city.

Fire crews worked to save luxury homes threatened by the flames. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said more than 230,000 people had been forced from their homes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.