A wildfire raged across an upscale section of Los Angeles on Tuesday, destroying homes and creating traffic jams as 30,000 people evacuated beneath huge plumes of smoke that covered much of the metropolitan area.

Southern California's Palisades Fire, fueled by a strong windstorm, has grown to 1,261 acres and prompted the city of Los Angeles to declare a state of emergency as 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate.