A wildfire raged across an upscale section of Los Angeles on January 7, destroying homes and creating traffic jams as 30,000 people evacuated beneath huge plumes of smoke that covered much of the metropolitan area.

At least 1,262 acres (510 hectares) of the Pacific Palisades area between Santa Monica and Malibu had burned, officials said, after they had already warned of extreme fire danger from powerful winds that arrived following extended dry weather.

The fire grew rapidly in a matter of hours as officials warned the worst wind conditions were expected to come overnight, leading to concerns that more neighborhoods could be forced to flee.

The world-famous Getty Villa was threatened by the Palisades fire, which engulfed the area amid high winds.

READ: As LA burns, criticisms and questions about response arise

Another fast-moving fire, dubbed the Eaton fire, broke out some 30 miles (50 km) inland in the foothills above Pasadena, wiping homes off an entire street.

Highways were jammed with people fleeing the inferno as plumes of smoke and flames rose in the sky over Los Angeles on Tuesday night.

The fire had not been contained by Wednesday morning and Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. Accompanied by Newsom, U.S. President Joe Biden visited a Santa Monica fire station and received a briefing on the situation as three wildfires raged.

Biden's soon-to-be successor, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, called the deadly California wildfires “a true tragedy”, with five people killed according to authorities.

Speaking alongside Republican leaders at the U.S. Capitol, Trump blamed the state’s conservation policies for the lack of available water.

The fire had burned more than 1,000 structures there January 8, making it one of the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history.

(Production: Ben Dangerfield)