Why the California wildfires are spreading so quickly

“Praying for [people] up in those mountains, LA County and myself this morning”.

While art lovers anxious when they heard that Los Angeles’s Getty Center would be closing its doors this week, as the fires closed part of the 405 Freeway, there was a bit of good news. Meanwhile, blazes from the Sylmar fire, Santa Clarita fire and San Bernardino fire have also had devastating effects.

Officials were considering closing the southbound lanes as well.

“These are days that break your heart”.

TRT World’s Frances Read reports from Los Angeles. Some 50 acres had burned within a matter of just two hours as Los Angeles firefighters contend with wind gusts of up to 30 mph.

The wildfires this week come after the hottest summer on record and a widespread drought left the area unusually dry.

In the Sunland area of Los Angeles near the Creek Fire, Ken Villegas, a horse farm owner, said earlier in the week he saw the flames jump from across the street and enter his property, burning some of his foliage but no structures.

Those conditions continued through much of Tuesday, as the fire swept through neighborhoods, destroying hundreds of homes. Officials were focused on keeping the fire from jumping the freeway and heading east.

More than 4,000 firefighters and dozens of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters have been deployed to combat the fires in Los Angeles County and Ventura County, fire officials said.

Shortly after 6 a.m., mandatory evacuations were ordered for Moraga Drive, Linda Flora Drive, and Casiano Road, down to Bellagio Road, according to the LAFD. That means they need new legions of firefighters to try to get them under control.

“You look from room to room, you see what makes your house a home, and you realize it’s the people and the animals”, she said.

The head of the state Forestry and Fire Protection department said Wednesday that a color-coded danger scale had reached the unprecedented level of purple.

The acclaimed Getty arts institution – home to masterpieces including “The Spring” by Edouard Manet – was closed until at least Thursday, with museum authorities tweeting that “air filtration systems are protecting the galleries from smoke”. “Until the last ember is out, I will continue to worry”.

“There will be no ability to fight fire in these kinds of winds”, Cal Fire chief Ken Pimlott said. In the wake of that blaze brush clearing was required and water pressure was increased, he said.

“It’s different winds, different fuels, so it’s a sharp learning curve”, Mason said.

It was initially reported at six acres but quickly grew to 50 acres as crews worked against 25 miles per hour winds.