A brush fire in Pacific Palisades quickly consumed more than 200 acres of vegetation Tuesday and was believed to have damaged multiple homes as the flames were pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds that were expected to continue for two more days.
The fire was reported around 10:30 a.m. in the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman David Ortiz. By 11:20 a.m., crews on the scene estimated the size of the fire at 200 acres.
Air tankers could be seen making drops as firefighters from the area rushed to the scene.
Residents of the area were informed at about 11:25 a.m. to prepare for possible evacuation. Fire officials said around midday that evacuation warnings were in place from Topanga Canyon on the west to Rustic Canyon on the east, with crews on the scene requesting evacuations stretching to Pacific Coast Highway.
Unconfirmed reports from the scene indicated that several structures had already burned by midday. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The fire erupted amid Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in the Southland in a decade. Red flag warnings of critical fire danger were expected to remain in place until Thursday evening.