Drivers were at a standstill Tuesday as traffic gridlock plagued Pacific Coast Highway and other roads near a wind-driven wildfire in Pacific Palisades.
The Palisades Fire was reported Tuesday morning in the Los Angeles County coastal community near Malibu on a day of strong winds throughout Southern California. Traffic backed up on the few roads out of the area, including along Palisades Drive where at least one vehicle caught fire.
It was not clear whether the fire was due to a mechanical problem of the wildfire. Embers scattered by strong winds can start spot fires in previously unburned areas.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Abandoned vehicles could be seen on the street, left behind by residents trying to get out of the area in an eerie scene. Some cars were later cleared out of the way by a fire department bulldozer as firefighters continued to protect homes in the area from flames.
Adam Handler and his wife were among those trying to evacuate when they received a chilling warning from law enforcement authorities.
"A police officer started telling us, 'Get out of your car if you want to live,'" Handler said.
Later, his family's Audi was seen in video being pushed out of the way by the bulldozer. Handler said his house was safe, for now.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Evacuation orders were in effect for the area overlooking the Pacific Ocean with few roads in and out.
The Los Angeles Police Department was on citywide tactical alert with 140 members assigned to assist with traffic gridlock and evacuations, the agency said Tuesday afternoon.
The brush fire was reported at around 10:30 a.m. near the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive. Homes are threatened and some structures may have already burned.
The fire cast a large plume of dark smoke that could be seen for miles around, including in East Los Angeles and Inglewood.
Details about how the fire started were not immediately available.
The community of about 23,000 people is nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It is about 5 miles northwest of Santa Monica and 10 miles east of Malibu, just off Pacific Coast Highway.
