LOS ANGELES, United States, Jan 10, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - As chaotic wildfires
razed homes around Los Angeles forcing thousands to flee, one evacuation
shelter was being overwhelmed Thursday with donations.

The center at Pan Pacific Park, just south of Hollywood in the heart of Los
Angeles, was having to turn away donations after kind-hearted locals brought
cars full of food, clothing and toiletries.

"We appreciate the support, donations and volunteers, however do not need
anything additional at this time," read a handwritten sign posted outside the
shelter.

The Sunset Fire, which erupted Wednesday night in the affluent Hollywood
Hills, just a few hundred meters (yards) from the storied theaters of
Hollywood Boulevard, sparked an evacuation order for thousands of people
living in the heart of America's entertainment capital.

Some of those told to leave their homes -- a mixture of multi-million dollar
mansions and small, rent-controlled apartments -- made their way to the city-
run center.

"It exploded so quickly, I've never seen fire move that fast," Eric Calhoun,
a city recreation director overseeing the site, told AFP.

But almost as soon as the evacuees started arriving, so did the donations,
and the center was soon full to bursting with goods.

"I had to direct truckloads and truckloads to go to other sites," Calhoun
said.

Evacuation orders for the Sunset Fire were lifted by Thursday, and by the
afternoon the evacuation center had cleared out -- for now.

Other wildfires, including the Eaton Fire burning inland in the San Gabriel
Valley and the Palisades Fire closer to the coast, have torched more than
30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) combined, destroyed more than 6,000 buildings
and killed at least five people.

Despite the fire activity winding down from decreasing Santa Ana winds,
Calhoun said emergency assistance was in a bit of a "holding pattern," as
more wind activity was forecast for next week.