Chaos on the streets of Hollywood as people run from the fire at sunset

Much of the heart of Hollywood is covered in thick smoke. You can barely see the tops of the tall palm trees that line the streets here.

The streets near the bonfire are in complete chaos. People use sweatshirts to cover their faces so they can breathe. Many are carrying bags and suitcases, looking for somewhere to go.

Some are wearing pajamas, clearly caught off guard.

The Sunset fire broke out around 18:00 (14:00 GMT) on Wednesday, blanketing much of Hollywood in thick smoke and forcing evacuations. By midnight local time, the fire covered an area of ​​60 hectares.

Driving around Hollywood, I saw many people fleeing their homes with whatever belongings they could carry.

When I stopped, some of them responded to me with fear and anxiety.

“Are you here to help people? Where do I go?” Anna Waldman asked when I got out of the car.

“Where is it safe?”

Sirens turned on above us and helicopter blades screeched.

As I helped her get to a safe area, she told me she had been walking her dogs and planned to go to the grocery store when she smelled a strong smell of smoke.

She returned home, looked out her windows and watched the fire move quickly through the Hollywood Hills a block from her home.

She collected what she could: food, clothes, blankets, food for her three little dogs.

“I can’t believe it,” she said in exhaustion.

Makayla Jackson, 26, held his two-year-old son, Ramari, on a street corner while they waited for a ride. They were evacuated from a homeless shelter that was in danger of burning down.

“They just told us to get out and go,” she told me.

She said she is headed to Hollywood High School, where more help is offered.

Many roads near the fire, such as the famous Hollywood Boulevard, which includes the Hollywood Walk of Fame, are clogged with traffic.

Some even drive on the wrong side of the road to escape.

The inferno could be seen from nearby freeways, lighting up the darkness with bright red hues.

But on the outskirts of the legendary city, it seems as if nothing is happening. People dine, shop and do things in the evenings.