There was nothing but a stairwell left at one house in Altadena and even that was ablaze.
The flames swallowing homes and cars, and the suffocating smoke, made for truly apocalyptic scenes.
Firefighters tackled a blaze at one property as the resident next door dashed in and out to rescue a few precious items.
People streamed along the street with their lives wrapped up in a blanket of belongings, finally conceding to the evacuation order.
Los Angeles wildfires: follow the latest live updates
A firefighting helicopter dropped gallons of water onto burning homes but it appeared to have little impact.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sky correspondent challenges governor over empty hydrants
Wooden electricity polls were alight too, power lines hanging precariously above fire crews.
The drive into the evacuation zone was breathtaking – the flames having skipped some streets and homes entirely.
In some cases, residents whose homes were unscathed, made desperate but futile efforts to save their neighbour’s property.
The rapid and unpredictable path of the fire, fuelled by desert winds and drought, is causing real fear.
Resources are stretched, there’s a trickle of water from their hosepipes and the inferno is far from contained.
