A wildfire spread across an affluent part of Los Angeles, destroying numerous buildings and causing traffic jams as over 30,000 people attempted to evacuate.
Simultaneously, a second blaze doubled in size approximately 50 km inland.
The fires caused the cancellation of the Calgary Flames game Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Almost 3,000 acres of the Pacific Palisades region, spanning between the coastal towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, had been ravaged by the Palisades Fire, according to officials on Wednesday morning.
They had previously issued a warning about the extreme fire danger posed by the powerful winds after an extended period of dry weather.
A fire official told local television station KTLA that several individuals were injured, with some sustaining burns to their faces and hands.
The official said that a female firefighter had also sustained a head injury.
The second blaze, named the Eaton Fire, started approximately 50 km inland near Pasadena.
Within a few hours, it doubled in size to 400 acres, as reported by Cal Fire.
CBS News reported that almost 100 residents from a nursing home in Pasadena were evacuated.
Fire officials reported a third blaze, named the Hurst Fire, in Sylmar, which is an area in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles.
Consequently, some nearby residents were evacuated from their homes.
Witnesses reported numerous homes in flames, with the heat nearly scorching their cars, as people evacuated the hills of Topanga Canyon.
The fire rapidly spread from there, descending towards the Pacific Ocean.
Local media reported the fire had spread north, torching homes near Malibu.
The Getty Villa, a museum with priceless works of art, was spared from significant damage when the fire singed some trees on its grounds.
The museum’s preventive measures, which involved trimming the brush surrounding the buildings, played a crucial role in safeguarding its collection.
Governor Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency, explained that the state strategically positioned personnel, fire trucks, and aircraft in other parts of Southern California to mitigate the fire danger to the broader region.
Countless videos have been shared to X of people driving through town examining the destruction.
One shows a group making their way through Malibu, noting that all the houses on fire around them are worth millions.
Another video shared by Elon Musk shows the aftermath of the blaze, with entire streets of homes reduced to ashes.
Among those who lost everything was actor James Woods.
"One day you're swimming in the pool, and the next day it's all gone," he said, fighting through tears.