Wind-whipped fire in L.A. prompts evacuations in Pacific Palisades

A fast-moving fire has forced some residents to evacuate from the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles amid "life-threatening and destructive" winds.

The fire was burning in the Pacific Palisades Highlands community and had grown to about 200 acres, said Erik Scott, a fire captain and public information officer with the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Several communities were ordered to evacuate and homes were under "immediate threat," according to a news release from the department.

The blaze threatened communities that dot the canyons west of Pacific Palisades, including those in Rustic Canyon and Topanga Canyon.

"Be prepared for evacuation orders to come through," Scott said to residents in those areas in a video address on X, adding that the fire was "rapidly spreading due to the significant winds."

Conditions in Southern California were primed for fast-moving wildfires. Los Angeles has not received significant rainfall in months, and National Weather Service forecasters had predicted "a life-threatening, destructive windstorm" from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning.

Rich Thompson, a weather service meteorologist based in Oxnard, said downtown Los Angeles has received just 0.16 inches of rain since July 1.

Thompson said the weather service had observed wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph on Tuesday and expected the danger to grow overnight.

"It looks like the winds will increase a little in strength later today and tonight," with gusts up to 100 mph in the windiest spots, Thompson said. "The Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills area, Palos Verdes — they get Santa Ana winds, but not usually this strong."

Winter wildfires in California are often driven by the Santa Ana winds, which sweep down mountain slopes to bring hot, dry air to coastal areas. The winds typically lower humidity levels and can rapidly push any fires that start, particularly when the landscape is dry.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com