Los Angeles plunged into its worst natural disaster in decades as wildfires driven by hurricane-strength wind gusts tore through prosperous neighborhoods, killed at least five people and forced more than 100,000 residents to flee.

Even as firefighters struggled to contain two massive fires — one in the tiny coastal enclave of Pacific Palisades, the other bearing down on Pasadena — a new blaze flared up in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening, prompting evacuations.

The latest mandatory evacuation order encompasses a densely populated area and includes major landmarks such as the Hollywood Bowl, Dolby Theater and TCL Chinese Theater, extending to a section of Hollywood Boulevard. Parts of Beverly Hills were under an evacuation warning.