California wildfires: thousands flee as fire reaches L.A.

More than 27,000 people fled their homes in California today as out-of-control wildfires swept through Ventura County and threatened Los Angeles.

An uncontained 50-acre fire raged near the Getty Center art institute and moved toward the University of California, Los Angeles, while a mandatory evacuation order was issued for parts of Bel Air, one of LA’s wealthiest neighborhoods.

CNN says “wind-whipped” wildfires threatened further damage after burning more than 65,000 acres, torching buildings and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.

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The blaze is racing towards the Pacific Ocean, adds the Los Angeles Times.

State governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency as around 1,100 firefighters battle the wildfire.

The fire began late on Monday near Santa Paula, a city about 60 miles northwest of LA. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the blaze “caught Californians off guard” as the region’s wildfire season “typically ends in September”.