Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a deadly brush fire in the Pacific Palisades grew to more than 20,000 acres this week and destroyed thousands of structures.

( NewsNation) — A Pacific Palisades resident says their community has “lost” so much as wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area. Pacific Palisades community council member Sue Kohl told NewsNation that embers from the massive wildfires blew over their entire town igniting much of the area.

As of Thursday, the Palisades fire had reached 15,000 acres, spreading to Malibu and Topanga and torching homes and restaurants along the Pacific Coast Highway. One resident told the Washington Examiner ’s video producer Natasha Sweatte that his community is coming together in this time of crisis.