Rampaging wildfires around Los Angeles have killed at least two people and caused a “significant number” of serious injuries, officials tackling the terrifying blazes said Wednesday.

More than 1000 buildings have burned in multiple wildfires that have erupted around America’s second biggest city, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.

Hurricane-force winds have whipped up fireballs that have leapt from home to home in the upmarket Pacific Palisades area, torching a swathe of California’s most desirable real estate.

“We have well over 5000 acres [2000ha] that have burned, and the fire is growing,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told reporters.

“We have no percentage of containment. We have an estimated 1000 structures destroyed ... and a high number of significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate.”

A second major fire was burning around Altadena, north of the city, where footage showed flames consuming whole streets.

“We have over 2000 acres burning at this time, and the fire continues to grow with zero per cent containment,” Marrone said.

“We have over 500 personnel assigned, and unfortunately, we have two reported fatalities to civilians, unknown cause at this time. And we do have a number of significant injuries. We have over 100 structures destroyed.”

Over 100 structures have been destroyed by the Eaton fire in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County. Photo / AFP

Two other blazes in the area were also stretching resources.

Vicious gusts were pushing the flames, whipping red-hot embers hundreds of metres, sparking new spot fires faster than firefighters could quell them.

Firefighters on the scene as flames take hold in Pacific Palisades. Photo / AFP

As dawn broke, a vast pall of smoke was visible over Los Angeles, with the acrid tang of burning in the air.

City Mayor Karen Bass warned that the “windstorm is expected to worsen through the morning” in a post on X early Wednesday.

Some firefighters were facing water shortages at hydrants in the Palisades, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Emmy-award-winning actor James Woods posted a video showing flames engulfing trees and bushes near his home as he evacuated, adding all the fire alarms were going off.

“I couldn’t believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long. It feels like losing a loved one,” Woods said.

The wildfire burns near homes in Pacific Palisades. Photo / AFP

The first wildfire erupted on Tuesday morning and spread quickly, taking many residents by surprise.

Pacific Palisades resident Andrew Hires told AFP he got a text alerting him to the fire as his child was at the dentist about to have a tooth extracted.

“We pulled off the mask and ran to the car,” he said.

Trees and vegetation around the Getty Villa were burned, but the structure and collections were spared, the museum said.

Plumes of smoke are seen from Santa Monica, as the flames spread in Pacific Palisades. Photo / AFP

The Getty, set up by US oil billionaire and collector J. Paul Getty and one of the world’s richest art museums, houses Greek and Roman antiquities in a replica Roman country home.

The fire came as the area was being hit by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in a decade, with gusts of up to 160km/h.

“This looks pretty concerning,” said meteorologist Daniel Swain.

Wildfires are part of life in the US West and play a vital role in nature.

But scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather patterns.

Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, which sparked furious vegetative growth – leaving the region packed with fuel and primed to burn.

- AFP