‘Purple’ alert as wildfires rage through Los Angeles

POWERFUL winds will feed wildfires raging in Los Angeles, threatening multimillion-dollar mansions with blazes that have already forced more than 200 000 people to flee, emergency officials warned yesterday.

Authorities issued a “purple” alert – never used before – because of the extreme danger, warning that winds could reach 128km/h, 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 32 000 hectares 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’s affluent Bel-Air neighbourhood.

The area battled gridlocked traffic as residents fled ash and smoke that churned over the smoldering hillside in the second-largest 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.

Very strong winds blowing from the northeast to the southwest were causing the fire to balloon, he said, warning residents to be ready to flee at a moment’s notice. In Bel-Air, that is exactly what they did. The “Skirball” fire ignited on Wednesday morning and quickly grew to engulf a large area of the district, home to celebrities and billionaires including SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk and pop superstar Beyonce.

Police knocked on doors and used loudspeakers to make sure everybody had left their mansions.

US media reported that the Bel-Air Moraga Estate of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, which contains a vineyard, was threatened by the wildfire.

Singer Lionel Richie cancelled a concert to help his ex-wife flee the area, while comedian Chelsea Handler and designer Adrienne Maloof were among celebrities tweeting that they had to evacuate.

Among those evacuated was model Chrissy Teigen, wife of singer John Legend.

Forecasters said winds could cause fires to spread further, threatening more upscale homes and the acclaimed Getty Centre museum.