Flames engulf Southern California as crews battle to control ...

Tens of thousands of Southern Californians were ordered to flee their homes Tuesday after a brushfire exploded in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles.

Fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds and dry conditions, the Palisades Fire ignited Tuesday morning as a brushfire and had grown to more than 1,200 acres by Tuesday afternoon.

Dramatic images showed pillars of smoke looming over the coastal neighborhood. Flames could be seen advancing toward, and people were captured fleeing the area on foot.

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A resident described the scene to NBC Los Angeles after her escape as “apocalyptic.”

More than 10,000 homes are under threat, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley told reporters Tuesday, and roughly 30,000 residents are under evacuation orders.