Driven by powerful Santa Ana winds, wildfires burned an estimated 56,000 acres in Ventura County and Los Angeles County, California over just a 13 hours period. Residents were warned to evacuate and hundreds of homes and other structures have been destroyed. From CNN:

The fast-moving fire — the largest of several wind-driven blazes in Southern California — forced sheriff’s deputies to knock on doors to warn residents to evacuate in the dark. About 150 buildings, including homes and an evacuated Ventura hospital, have been destroyed…

An evacuee, Catherine Wastweet, stood on a street Tuesday morning and looked up to the foothills where her neighborhood was aflame.

“We live up there … but we just don’t know whether our house is burned down or not, because we can’t even see through all of the smoke,” she said.

Tuesday Governor Jerry Brown issued a state of emergency declaration for the area. “This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we’ll continue to attack it with all we’ve got,” he said in a statement. He added, “It’s critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”

The air in Los Angeles was smoky Tuesday morning and the Getty Center which sits atop a hill alongside the 405 freeway was closed, “to prevent damage to the collections from smoke from the fires in the region.”

As is often the case with a story like this, you can’t really get a sense of it until you see it. There are currently three separate fires that firefighters are battling. The Thomas Fire near Ventura (which has burned 45,000 acres), the Creek Fire near Sylmar (which has burned 11,000 acres) and the smaller Rye fire in Santa Clarita. Here are some videos showing how widespread the impact of these fires is right now, starting with the Creek Fire:

Driving down 210 towards 118 this morning… #CreekFire pic.twitter.com/eX9Gm3MaC3

— Adam Castillo (@AdmanCastillo) December 5, 2017

https://t.co/p5YGsomYg4 MichaelDubron: Unbelievable conditions #CreekFire LACoFDPIO #LAWind pic.twitter.com/rozSpZgv4x

— Justin Bonney Real Estate (@JustinTBonney) December 5, 2017

#CreekFire [update] off Kagel Canyon Rd., north of Lake View Terrace (Los Angeles County) per @LACoFDPIO is now 4,000 acres. Video by Twitter user: @heres_happyness pic.twitter.com/Hgf1V78uYd

— CAL FIRE (@CAL_FIRE) December 5, 2017

One of 2 homes on East Trail destroyed by #creekfire in Sylmar pic.twitter.com/dUTo0Mhjti

— Kim Baldonado (@KimNBCLA) December 5, 2017

Here’s video of firefighters showing up to battle the Rye fire:

Here’s our view from Newhall Ranch Road east of Vanderbilt Parkway in Santa Clarita as @LACo_FD fights the #RyeFire. pic.twitter.com/frIdTvQDls

— Austin Dave (@AustinDave_) December 5, 2017

And finally the Thomas fire:

Video from Sky5 shows homes ablaze in various Ventura County neighborhoods as a result of the fast-moving #thomasfire. https://t.co/zWukeLII57 pic.twitter.com/1WoDaaia8t

— KTLA (@KTLA) December 5, 2017

#ThomasFire – Happening now, apartment building engulfed in flames along Foothill Rd and Victoria Ave pic.twitter.com/5Dxd3c2bSK

— Michael Coons (@Michael_Coons) December 5, 2017

This woman’s house was destroyed.

A woman tearfully told us she'd learned her own house, as well as her neighbor's, was destroyed in the #ThomasFire. More than 27,000 people have been evacuated. Here are the latest updates: https://t.co/UODFYP69Pq pic.twitter.com/rhCgdMQUm1

— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) December 5, 2017

Video from Sky5 shows dozens of structures in Ventura engulfed in flames earlier Tuesday morning as a result of the #Thomasfire. @MarkKonoSky5 @LAflyingcameras https://t.co/zWukeLr7dz pic.twitter.com/GiQlmBjUjw

— KTLA (@KTLA) December 5, 2017

Finally, this clip was shot last night by firefighters in Ventura.

Video from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department​ shows flames from the #thomasfire surrounding a road in Ventura. https://t.co/zWukeLII57 pic.twitter.com/U46lfkfOg9

— KTLA (@KTLA) December 5, 2017

Winds in Los Angeles are gusting up to 70 miles per hour and the winds are expected to continue for the next few days.