State of emergency declared amid Los Angeles wildfires

A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood of Los Angeles (Ethan Swope/AP)

A state of emergency has been declared after a wildfire whipped up by extreme winds swept through a Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity homes.

The fire forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, some of whom abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety with roads blocked.