A fifth wildfire that sparked in Los Angeles County on Wednesday night has forced more evacuations as firefighters battle the blazes that have so far consumed 27,000 acres – nearly the size of the entire city of San Francisco – across the county.
The Sunset Fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills above Hollywood Boulevard, near Runyon Canyon, threatening some of the most popular Los Angles tourist hotspots – including the iconic Hollywood sign.
About a mile away from the fire, the streets along the Hollywood Walk of Fame were bustling with stop-and-go traffic around the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds. Some people hauled suitcases out of hotels while others walked toward the flames, recording the fire on their phones, as sirens blared and low-flying helicopters flew overhead to dump water on the flames.
The latest fire comes as firefighters in Los Angeles and neighboring communities are battling the Palisades Fire, the Hurst Fire, the Lidia Fire, and the Eaton Fire, the latter of which has claimed the lives of five people. At least 130,000 people were under evacuation orders.
Nearly 2,000 homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said they have been able to keep the latest fire in the Hollywood Hills in check because “we hit it hard and fast and Mother Nature was a little nicer to us today than she was yesterday.”
Firefighters have been dealing with intense winds that have further fanned the flames.
Los Angeles Fire Department captain Sheila Kelliher told Fox News on Wednesday that she saw winds “whip up to 70, 80, even 100 miles an hour,” and described the scorched hillsides as “dramatic and apocalyptic.”
Wind gusts in the region are forecast to reach speeds of up to 55 mph Thursday.
The two largest fires in the region – the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire – remain 0% contained, Cal Fire said early Thursday. Meanwhile, fire officials said the Hurst Fire was 10% contained, while the Lydia Fire was 40% contained.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said more than 7,500 firefighting personnel are on the ground battling the multiple fires, which officials say have consumed a total of about 42 square miles.
A Red Flag Warning is currently in effect for Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, as there is “potential for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” the National Weather Service said.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Greg Norman, along with the Associated Press, contributed to this report.
