LA fires: ‘Firenado’ sparks evacuation chaos as $125m mansion destroyed

The deadly Palisades fire in California has surged into the LA celebrity havens of Brentwood and Mandeville Canyon as a famed $125m TV mansion goes up in flames. Follow updates.

At least 16 people have died in the raging fires ripping through Los Angeles, officials said.

The death toll includes 11 dead in the Eaton fire and five who perished in the Palisades fire, according to the county medical examiner’s office.

The deadly Palisades fire in California has surged into the LA celebrity haven of Brentwood, spawning a fire tornado, known as a “firenado”, prompting mass evacuation orders.

Residents of Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood are frantically trying to flee to safety, causing a major traffic gridlock.

Smoke and flames from the Palisades fire burn toward the Encino neighbourhood of Los Angeles, triggering new evacuation orders. Picture: AFP

The largest of the blazes, the Palisades fire, has spread toward previously untouched neighbourhoods including Encino.

In the Pacific Palisades, the most expensive home in the area, a mega $125m compound that featured in TV’s Succession, was destroyed.

The most expensive home in the Pacific Palisades, which featured in the hit TV show Succession, has been destroyed. Picture: Supplied

The megamansion, which is owned by Luminar Technologies boss Austin Russell, was wiped out.

After destroying whole neighbourhoods and waterfront mansions, the intensifying infernos now pose a very real threat to the city’s third Summer Olympics in 2028.

Flames continue to inch ever closer to many venues, including the historic Riviera Golf Club and the UCLA campus.

Venues like SoFi Stadium, located in Inglewood, could be in harm’s way if the winds spread flames further or spark new fires.

Residents have increasingly demanded to know who is at fault for the disaster as they grapple with the ruin and local anger rises over officials’ preparedness and response.

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