California fires: Kim Kardashian among thousands to flee homes as wildfires devastate towns

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Patrick Grafton-Green9 November 2018

Kim Kardashian West was among thousands forced to flee their homes as wildfires engulfed parts of California.

A blaze broke out in the Hill Canyon area in the south of the state on Thursday and spread quickly, jumping a major highway and scorching up to 7,000 acres of land, the Ventura County Fire Department said.

Elsewhere the town of Paradise was said to be completely destroyed by a blaze.

The Camp Fire started early on Thursday near Camp Creek and burned through 20,000 acres as of Thursday afternoon. Authorities said there had been unconfirmed reports of fatalities.

A structure is seen engulfed in flames during the Camp Fire in Paradise
REUTERS

"We have received reports of some fatalities," Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. "Those reports have not yet been verified."

Some fled clutching babies and pets as they abandoned vehicles made out on foot ahead of the flames that forced the evacuation of the entire town and left a trail devastation in its wake.

Smoke from the Camp Fire looms over head as it burns out of control through Paradise
EPA

"Pretty much the community of Paradise is destroyed, it's that kind of devastation," said Cal Fire Captain Scott McLean late Thursday.

"The wind that was predicted came and just wiped it out."

A plume of smoke rises above the Camp Fire as it moves through the area on in Paradise
Getty Images

The infernos erupted as windy weather swept the state, creating extreme fire danger.

Residents from more than 1,200 homes in Hill Canyon are reported to have fled, among them reality TV star Kardashian West.

She said she had to pack her things and leave her home in nearby Calabasas, north west of Los Angeles.

Kim Kardashian was forced to flee her home in Calabasas
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Kardashian West posted a video from an aircraft window to her Instagram story on Thursday night, showing fires raging below.

She shared another video along with the caption: "Pray for Calabasas. Just landed back home and had 1 hour to pack up & evacuate our home. I pray everyone is safe."

Kardashian West had earlier shared a picture to social media of her and her three children, though did not say who she was with while sharing the video.

She also posted a clip from the ground showing fire fighters driving past.

Smoke from the fire could be seen from the site of a mass shooting in nearby Thousand Oaks that left 12 people dead on Wednesday night.

Dramatic footage posted to social media showed cars crawling along as fires raged at the side of the road, with smoke severely reducing visibility.

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