Tens of thousands have fled their homes as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades has burned more than 17,000 acres as of Wednesday. Earlier, authorities had said the blaze could grow further with strong winds fueling its spread.

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.

A Ventura County firefighter was struck by a vehicle Tuesday while deployed on the Palisades Fire. The Ventura County Fire Department said the firefighter was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. His injuries were described as minor, officials said.