California fire chief David Acuna told the BBC that progress on containing the Hollywood Hills fire was “zero” and it was expanding rapidly.

“The wind has been blowing consistently at 60-100mph (95-160km/h) since yesterday morning,” Acuna said. “It actually blew harder last night.”

Wind speeds have now dropped to about 30mph, but Acuna added “it is still significant and because there are a lot of open areas it is extremely dangerous”.

The first fire began on Tuesday in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, near Malibu, with others subsequently breaking out across the north of the city.

As of 20:15 local time (04:00 GMT), four fires in the areas of the Palisades, Pasadena, Sylmar, and the Hollywood Hills covered more than 27,000 acres (42 sq miles; 109 sq km) and were 0% contained, according to the LAFD.

One fire in the Acton area had been partially contained, while two others had been completely contained.

The fire in the Hollywood Hills – a residential neighbourhood overlooking the historic Hollywood area of the city – began at around 18:00 local time on Wednesday.

Less than two hours later, much of the heart of Hollywood was blanketed with thick smoke, and the tops of the palm trees that line its streets were barely visible.

People used sweatshirts to cover their faces to help them breathe, while others – clearly surprised by the fire – wore only pyjamas. Many carried bags and suitcases, talking on their phones as they made plans for where to go.

Many of the roads near the fire – including Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Hollywood Walk of Fame – were gridlocked with traffic. Some people even drove on the wrong side of the road as they tried to get out of the area.