Bulldozers clear abandoned cars amid Los Angeles wildfire evacuations

Thousands of residents in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades evacuated their homes as they fled a massive wildfire that raged through the upscale locality, destroying acres within hours. As the fire rapidly consumed the enclave, many abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot due to traffic jams. Later, the local authorities used bulldozers to tow away the cars to create a clear path for rescue efforts.

Since the cars were abandoned without keys, officials, claiming them as obstructions to evacuation routes, authorised the use of bulldozers to clear the vehicles. Many of them were destroyed in the process. Visuals showed bulldozers ploughing through nearly 200 vehicles in the Pacific Palisades, one of the poshest localities in Los Angeles.

A rapidly growing wildfire destroyed several homes and forced the evacuation of at least 30,000 people, as the area engulfed in thick plumes of smoke. Witnesses reported multiple homes ablaze, with flames licking at their cars as residents fled the hills of Topanga Canyon. The fire quickly spread towards the Pacific Ocean.