LA authorities to evacuate area near wildfire in tony enclave

LOS ANGELES — Authorities said Saturday that they are preparing to evacuate an area near a wildfire in the exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.

The wildfire, which the Los Angeles Fire Department said started in brush, covers about 100 acres, or about one-sixth of a square mile.

In just a matter of a few hours, the #PalisadesFire has blown up, despite relatively mild fire weather conditions. Fuels are more than ready to burn across much of California, even in the absence of elevated/critical fire weather conditions. #CAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/zps7brVBam

— US StormWatch (@US_Stormwatch) May 16, 2021

The fire ignited about 10 p.m. Friday, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange told reporters.

There are no reports of injuries or destruction of buildings, the fire department said in a statement.

“The terrain is very steep and extremely difficult to navigate which hinders ground based firefighting operations. The bulk of the firefighting is air based,” the fire department said.

The Pacific Palisades is a wealthy community between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean and is reportedly home to a number of celebrities.