The footage from the X account Airline Videos showed smoke rising from the hills nearby shortly after 10:25 a.m. local time. Within a few hours, the blaze had spread across a wide area, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands of Californians.

The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank is already one of the most destructive in Los Angeles history, burning more than 17,000 acres. The L.A. Fire Chief told reporters on Thursday (January 9) the fire was not at all contained.

"Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire," CALFIRE said.