Los Angeles celebrity enclave escapes 40-acre hillside wildfire

Firefighters were today struggling to contain a blaze that swept through 40 acres of hillside and threatened multi-million-dollar homes in a celebrity enclave in Los Angeles.

Fire chiefs ordered 200 homes to be evacuated in the coastal Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, where residents include actress Reese Witherspoon and Star Wars director JJ Adams, after the fire broke out yesterday morning.

Video footage showed a wall of orange flames racing up the hillside as aircraft flew overhead dropping water and fire retardant.

Last night the evacuation order was lifted as winds dropped and firefighters began to contain the blaze.

No homes were seriously damaged and only minor injuries were reported.

But residents were warned to stay alert as the area is still “dangerously dry”.