New blaze ignites near Los Angeles

Los Angeles : California motorists commuted past a blazing inferno Wednesday as wind-whipped wildfires raged across the Los Angeles region, with flames triggering the closure of a major freeway and mandatory evacuations in an area dotted with mansions.

One day after the “Thomas” fire broke out -- devastating 65,000 acres (26,300 hectares) and forcing 27,000 people to flee -- high winds caused another wave of wildfires to erupt overnight, including one in Los Angeles’ affluent Bel-Air neighbourhood that gridlocked heavy traffic as ash and smoke churned over the smouldering hillside.

The “Skirball” fire ignited before 5 am (1300 GMT) and quickly engulfed some 50 acres, with forecasters predicting the 25-mile-per-hour winds could cause further spreading, threatening multi-million dollar homes and the acclaimed Getty Centre museum.

The fire captured in apocalyptic images also prompted authorities to close the 405 Freeway, a major commuting corridor famous for its traffic congestion.

The acclaimed Getty arts institution was closed, with museum authorities tweeting that “air filtration systems are protecting the galleries from smoke.”

Just north in Ventura County the Thomas blaze continued unabated, after erupting in the hills of oak and scrub north of Santa Paula on the gusts of powerful so-called Santa Ana winds.

That fire had left at least one dead and destroyed more than 150 homes and businesses, and still threatened some 12,000 structures. It clogged the area with thick black smoke and caused mandatory evacuations, road closures and school cancellations.