Tens of thousands have fled their homes as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades has burned more than 17,000 acres as of Wednesday. Earlier, authorities had said the blaze could grow further with strong winds fueling its spread.

The blaze began shortly after the start of a Santa Ana windstorm that the National Weather service warned could be the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade.

Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, has now ordered the evacuation of almost 49,000 residents. Approximately 13,208 buildings and 10,367 homeswere at danger of being destroyed, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin M. Crowley, reported Business Insider.