A wildfire that broke out Saturday afternoon is burning out of control in the Los Angeles suburb of Calabasas, authorities say.
Crews are attempting to get control of the blaze, which has burned at least 200 acres and has forced many evacuations, according to Los Angeles Fire Captain Roland Sprewell.
“3,000 homes are evacuated which is about 5,000 people,” said Tony Coroalles, city manager of Calabasas, a relatively affluent area which is home to a handful of celebrities, including the Kardashians, Jessica Simpson and Toni Braxton.
Of the 5,000, 500 to 600 people are under mandatory evacuation orders.
Evacuated residents are being urged to go to nearby Agoura High School.
The fire was 15% contained as of late Saturday local time, according to the LA County Fire Department.
More than 250 firefighters have been battling the blaze, according to CNN affiliate KCBS.
One social media user said ash could be spotted as far away as Dodger Stadium, which is about 30 miles away.
The fire has been dubbed the ‘Old Fire’ due to its proximity to Old Topanga Canyon Road.
It’s still unknown what may have sparked the blaze, but authorities are investigating reports that a car slammed into a power pole and knocked some lines down, which may have caused the fire.
‘Something out of a movie’
Pictures of the current blaze show residents staring at bright, tall flames creeping toward the sky, visible from nearby streets.
Roseann Bleiweiss’ son told CNN the fire looked like “something out of a movie.”
Some celebrities are chiming in on the fire as well.
Ellen DeGeneres tweeted that her brother-in-law was out fighting the fire.
“Sending thanks to Portia’s brother Michael (and) all the rescue workers on the scene of this dangerous fire,” she said.
The fire came right up to the edges of Calabasas High School and Viewpoint School, which said on its website that it would close all of its Saturday campus events.
Calabasas and the nearby Santa Monica Mountains are no stranger to wildfires — the area has experienced many dangerous blazes over the years.
A particularly strong blaze in 2013 burned nearly 28,000 acres in two days, threatening thousands of homes in Ventura County.
From 1925 through 2012, 343 fires have been documented, according to the National Park Service.
