Firefighters in California are battling a fast-spreading wildfire that is ravaging an exclusive Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity homes.

Officials say the wildfire is being fueled by gusts from a “life-threatening” and “destructive” wind storm hitting Southern California.

Firefighters are battling a handful of smaller fires in the Los Angeles area, including in the foothills of the Pacific Palisades between Santa Monica and Malibu.

Around 30,000 residents were asked to evacuate.

The plume of smoke from the flames is so high that it can be seen from LA’s famous Venice Beach, more than six miles away.

Actor James Woods shared footage of flames burning through bushes and past palm trees on a hill near his home in Pacific Palisades.

Meanwhile, actor Steve Guttenberg, who also lives in the area, is helping move parked cars to make room for fire engines.

“This is not a parking lot,” he told local media.

“I have friends up there and they can’t evacuate… I’m running up there as far as I can to move cars.”

Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the area was experiencing “extreme fire weather conditions” and that more than 250 firefighters were currently attempting to battle the fire.

She said the fire was initially reported as a 10-acre blaze but, fueled by 40 mph winds, spread to more than 1,200 acres “and continues to grow.”

Ms Crowley added that firefighters’ work tackling the fire was “extremely challenging” due to the “strong winds and topography of the area”.

No injuries have been reported so far, but the service has received “multiple reports” of damage to buildings in the area.

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