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Photos: Southland battling multiple wildfires, fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds

Steve Salinas shields from intense heat as he hoses down a neighbors rooftop as the Eaton fire explodes in size.
Steve Salinas shields from intense heat as he hoses down a neighbor’s rooftop as the Eaton fire explodes to more than 10,000 acres.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
By Wally Skalij
, Brian van der Brug, Genaro Molina and Gina Ferazzi
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Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a “life-threatening, destructive” windstorm hit Southern California, fanning the blaze seen for miles while roads were clogged with cars as residents tried to flee.

Forecasters warned the worst may be yet to come with the windstorm predicted to last for days, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph in mountains and foothills.

Already the winds were toppling trees, creating dangerous surf and bringing extreme wildfire risk to areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.

Eaton Fire

A man runs to get another hose as he helps try to prevent a home from catching fire as the Eaton fire continues to grow.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Samuel Girma runs to get another hose as he helps try to prevent a home from catching fire on LaPaz Road in Altadena as the Eaton fire continues to grow.

A man douses smoldering vegetation while trying to stop a neighbors house from igniting from the Eaton fire in Altadena.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Greg Voorhies douses smoldering vegetation while trying to stop a neighbor’s house from igniting from the Eaton fire in Altadena.

A man uses a fire extinguisher on a burning home in Altadena destroyed by the Eaton fire.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A man uses a fire extinguisher on a burning home in Altadena destroyed by the Eaton fire.

Homes are engulfed in flames in the wind whipped Eaton fire in Altadena.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Homes are engulfed in flames as firefighters try to keep the embers from jumping to nearby homes in the wind-whipped Eaton fire in Altadena.

Wind gust sends burning embers into the air fueling the Eaton fire in Altadena.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Wind gust sends burning embers into the air fueling the Eaton fire in Altadena.

Palisades fire

A police officer escorts a homeless woman to evacuate away from Pacific Coast Highway
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

An L.A. County Sheriff’s deputy helps a homeless woman to evacuate away from Pacific Coast Highway and Topanga Canyon Boulevard as the Palisades fire rages.

A firefighter battles a house fire along PCH as the Palisades fire burns in Malibu.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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A firefighter battles a house fire along PCH as the Palisades fire burns in Malibu.

People evacuate at Sunset Blvd. and Palisades Drive in Pacific Palisades.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

People evacuate near Sunset Boulevard and Palisades Drive.

A firefighting plane makes a drop on the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A firefighting plane makes a drop on the Palisades fire.

Joy Schroeder sprays sprays water in an attempt to save her brothers house
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Joy Schroeder helps fight the fire at her brother’s house in the Marquez Knolls neighborhood.

A surrounded by the flames of the Pacific Palisades fire along Sunset Blvd.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

A car is surrounded by the flames of the Pacific Palisades fire along Sunset Boulevard.

A firefighting plane makes a drop on a burning home from the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

A firefighting plane makes a drop on a burning home.

Cici keeps a watchful eye on the Pacific Palisades fire that burns several miles behind the Santa Monica Pier.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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A woman keeps a watchful eye on the Pacific Palisades fire that burns several miles behind the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica.

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Wally Skalij

Wally Skalij joined the Los Angeles Times as a staff photographer in 1997.

Brian van der Brug

Brian van der Brug has been a staff photojournalist at the Los Angeles Times since 1997.

Genaro Molina

Genaro Molina is an award-winning staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times. He has worked in journalism for more than 35 years starting at the San Francisco Chronicle. Molina has photographed the life and death of Pope John Paul II, the tragedy of AIDS in Africa, the impact of Hurricane Katrina, and Cuba after Castro. His work has appeared in nine books and his photographs have been exhibited extensively including at the Smithsonian Institute and the Annenberg Space for Photography.

Gina Ferazzi

Gina Ferazzi grew up in the small New England town of Longmeadow, Mass. She has been a staff photographer with the Los Angeles Times since 1994. Her photos are a part of the staff Pulitzer Prizes for Breaking News in 2016 for the San Bernardino terrorist attack and for the wildfires in 2004. She’s an all-around photographer covering assignments from Winter Olympics, presidential campaigns to local and national news events. Her video documentaries include stories on black tar heroin, health clinics, women priests and Marine suicide. A two-sport scholarship athlete at the University of Maine, Orono, she still holds the record for five goals in one field hockey game.

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