Southern California Fires: 177K Evacuated, 405 Freeway Closed

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles is in a state of emergency, facing a fire-induced carmageddon amid mass evacuations. Dozens of homes have been destroyed, including four in Bel Air, as the worst windstorm Southern California has seen in a decade pushed a series of six wildfires into densely populated communities. Nearly 200,000 people have been driven from their homes, and the busiest freeway in Los Angeles was shut down.

Conditions will get worse before they get better, authorities are warning. California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Tuesday. Firefighters from Marin and Alameda counties have headed south to help battle the blaze.

Fierce Santa Ana winds have been turning small blazes into instant infernos. Firefighters are battling steep terrain with wind gusts of 50 miles per hour. The Santa Ana Winds are expected to continue through the week, peaking on Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Related: Suspected Arsonist Caught Dancing In The Firelight

Fire-related SigAlerts brought traffic headed out of Los Angeles to a grinding halt Tuesday and Wednesday. An early morning fire near the Getty Center shut down the San Diego (405) Freeway. Much of Los Angeles County was placed under unhealthy air quality warnings as thick black smoke blanketed the region all the way to the coast where officials shut down the Getty Museum to protect the art collections from smoke damage.

Six wildfires broke out between Monday night and Wednesday morning:

The Thomas Fire

The Ventura County wildfire, deemed the Thomas Fire, grew to 90,000 acres Wednesday night, leading to more mandatory evacuations in neighborhoods from Santa Paula to La Conchita; now more than 50,000 residents are under evacuation orders, according to Ventura County fire officials.

Route 150 in Ventura County closed Wednesday evening between Santa Ana Road at Lake Casitas and Route 192 at Casitas Pass Road near Carpinteria closed due to the Thomas Fire, according to CalTrans.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, winds changed direction from offshore to onshore in Ventura County, pushing smoke from the Thomas Fire into the west county including Ventura, Oxnard, and towards Camarillo, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. This change in direction had a severe impact on air-quality and visibility.

The status of the fire heavily relies on the Santa Ana winds, which authorities anticipate to be extremely strong on Thursday and continuing through Saturday; winds have the potential to reach speeds to 80 miles per hour, according to Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott. On top of that, a dry climate and extremely low humidity is expected.

Conditions Thursday are going to be extreme, warns Pimlott.

"When we have opportunities, when the winds have died down, we do direct firefighting on the fire line and try to get some containment," Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said.

The blaze began Monday evening, tearing through the area as wind conditions shifted. By Wednesday, the flames reached the Pacific Ocean after crossing Highway 33, burning through oil fields, and then jumping across the 101 Freeway into Solimar Beach, according to authorities. Firefighters still don't have a true handle on the fire, with containment at 5 percent as of Wednesday night.

"This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," Brown said in a statement. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”

The entire city of Ventura was ordered to evacuate. Casitas Springs and East Ojai Valley were also place on mandatory evacuations.

For more on the Thomas Fire: Ventura County Wildfire Grows To 90,000 Acres

Watch: California Wildfires Spread Due To High Winds

The Skirball Fire

A fast-moving brush fire broke out Wednesday morning near Getty Center in the Sepulveda Pass, prompting the closure of the San Diego (405) Freeway and leading to mandatory evacuations in the area, authorities said.

By 3 p.m., the fire had spread to 475 acres and was 5 percent contained. About 700 homes and one apartment building remained under evacuation. A total of 11 homes have been damaged — four were completely destroyed.

Both sides of the 405 Freeway reopened by 1 p.m., but two of the slow lanes near the fire scene on the northbound side are still closed because of the staging of firefighting equipment. Intense Santa Ana Winds and the fire have combined to knock out power to much of West Los Angeles as residents attempt to navigate evacuation routes.

The blaze was reported at 4:52 a.m. on the east side of the freeway near Mulholland Drive, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. By 9:15 a.m., the 405 Freeway reopened to traffic.

For more on the Skirball Fire: Skirball Fire Destroys Bel-Air Homes

The Creek Fire

The Creek Fire raged on for a second day Wednesday even though air crews made overnight water drops in a bid to douse the flames. The fire broke out in the Kagel Canyon area above Sylmar initially ignited Tuesday, burning more than 11,000 acres, destroying about 30 homes and prompting the evacuation of as many as 150,000 people from their homes. By Tuesday night, Los Angeles fell into a state of emergency. Numerous interchanges were also closed down while the Ventura (101) Freeway was covered in such a thick layer of smoke, traffic apps misreported it as fog.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti urged residents to heed orders to evacuate – saying, "Do not wait. Leave your home." – and added that people should be prepared to spend at least one night away from home.

"Do not expect to back tonight," Garcetti said.

For more on the Creek Fire: Creek Fire Rages On, 150,000 Forced To Evacuate

The Rye Fire

The Rye Fire has now burned 7,000 acres in the Santa Clarita Valley and is 10 percent contained as of Wednesday evening, according to Cal Fire; the flames are off Rye Canyon Loop, west of Valencia.

There were no injuries reported, but the fire had prompted evacuations of around 5,000 people from about 1,300 homes and the closure of sections of the Golden State (5) Freeway and state Route 126.

The blaze broke out at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, in the area McBean Parkway, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Evacuations have been ordered along Rye Canyon Loop and Kelly Johnson Parkway Smoke and flames have forced the closure of the 5 Freeway near state Route 126.

For more on the Rye Fire: Rye Fire: 7,000 Acres Burned, 10% Contained, 5,000 Evacuated

The Little Mountain Fire

A fire broke out Tuesday afternoon in San Bernardino, threatening businesses, structures and prompting a possible freeway closure and evacuations.

The blaze is burning off the 215 Freeway near University Parkway. Houses on nearby Bond Street are under evacuation. Within minutes, the fire scorched 25 acres, and the blaze is being driven by 30-mph to 35- mph Santa Ana winds.

For more on the Rye Fire: 'Little Mountain Fire' Breaks Near 215 Freeway In San Bernardino

The Porter Ranch Fire

A brush fire broke out in the Porter Ranch area in Northern Los Angeles shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday, forcing lane closures on the Ronald Reagan (118) Freeway. Within minutes, five acres had burned, but no homes were threatened, and no evacuations were ordered as of 3:45 p.m.

For More on the Porter Ranch Fire: Porter Ranch Blaze Shuts Down Eastbound 118 Freeway Lanes

Fullerton Fire

A small brush fire broke out Wednesday evening in Fullerton, burning half an acre in heavy brush in or around the 900 block of West Laguna Road, in the Sunny Hills neighborhood, an official said.

The Orange County Fire Authority sent a water-dropping helicopter and a strike team, helping to quiclly douse the fire by 9 p.m.

For More on the Fullerton Fire: Fullerton Fire Receives Massive Firefighter Response

Related:

• Red Flag Warnings Continue Across Los Angeles County
• Red Flag Warning: Fire Alert For Riverside County Residents
• Red Flag Warning Extended In San Diego County
• Fire Erupts In Sepulveda Pass Near Getty Center
• Creek Fire Rages On, 150,000 Forced To Evacuate
• Thomas Fire Hits Pacific Ocean, More Homes Destroyed
• Rye Fire: 7,000 Acres Burned, 5% Contained, 5,000 Evacuated
• Getty Center Closes Due To Fire Smoke
• Smoke Blankets Los Angeles As SoCal Burns
• Do You See & Smell Smoke, Santa Monica?
• Smoke In Orange County: Air Quality Report
• Alameda County Firefighters Deploy To Thomas Fire In SoCal
• Marin Firefighters Headed To Thomas Fire In Southern California

Main photo of 405 morning traffic via Twitter courtesy of Rick Patrick. Patch Staffers Emily Holland and Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.