Sawt Falasteen - Wildfire sparks panicked evacuations in Los Angeles suburb

More than 200 acres (80 hectares) were burning in Pacific Palisades, a upscale spot with multi-million dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains, shuttering a key highway and blanketing the area with thick smoke.

Witnesses said at least two homes had caught fire, with footage from the scene showing flames roaring up the hillsides and palm trees ablaze.

Roads in the area were gridlocked as residents hurried to get out of the way, with some people seemingly abandoning their cars in a bid to get out.

Several people were carrying pets as they walked down streets choked with smoke.

Actor Steve Guttenberg -- star of 1984 comedy "Police Academy" -- said he was trying to help to get friends out of the area, but the roads were jammed.

"If you leave your car... leave the key in there so a guy like me can move your car so that these fire trucks can get up there. It's really, really important," he told a reporter on broadcaster KTLA.

The fire erupted mid-morning and swelled quickly, with dozens of firefighters deployed to battle the blaze, including from the air.

Evacuation warnings were in place for a swath of the area, with the fire twisting and turning in the wind.

One resident, who gave his name as Gary, told KTLA hot ashes were raining down on his community of Searidge.

"I've seen this on TV before, and I never thought wind could affect fire like this," he said.

"There was smoke in the distance, and I was assured that it would not come over the hill... Five minutes later, it's coming down the hill. Everyone panicked, that's when everybody made a run and went to go and pack their houses up."

- 'Destructive, widespread' -

The fire came as the area was being hit by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in a decade.

Gusts of up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) an hour were expected in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, the National Weather Service said.

"HEADS UP!!! A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm is expected Tue afternoon-Weds morning across much of Ventura/LA," the NWS said.

Red flag warnings of critical fire danger -- the highest level of alert -- were expected to remain in place until Thursday evening.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on social media that fire fighters had been deployed in advance and were "aggressively" responding to the blaze.

"Angelenos in the area are urged to heed evacuation warnings and follow direction from public safety officials," she wrote.

US President Joe Biden was in Los Angeles on Tuesday, where he had been expected to announce the creation of two new national monuments.

But the announcement was cancelled in the strong winds.

Wildfires are an expected part of life in the US West and play a vital role in the natural cycle.

But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns, making droughts longer and more intense, which creates the conditions for faster and more dangerous fires.

B.Khalifa--SF-PST