Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades has grown to nearly 20,000 acres on Thursday.

The blaze began shortly after the start of a Santa Ana windstorm that the National Weather service warned could be the strongest to hit Southern California in more than a decade.

High pressure is building from the north and that will help to tighten the pressure gradient over southern California, producing more gusty winds.

The Pacific Palisades area ravaged by wildfires is one of the most expensive neighborhoods, home to Hollywood A-Listers and multimillion dollar mansions. And ahead of this week's disaster, its insurance costs were among the most affordable in the country.

On Tuesday, flames tore through Palisades Charter High School, which reports show was previously used to offer shelter to people escaping Southern California wildfires like the 19

We need to make it incredibly expensive to build in these kinds of environments,’ one expert told The Independent. ‘If the insurance industry refuses to sell policies, maybe people won’t risk it’