Los Angeles, California - A fast-moving brush fire in a Los Angeles suburb burned buildings and sparked evacuations Tuesday as "life-threatening" winds whipped the region.

More than 200 acres were burning in Pacific Palisades, an upscale spot with multi-million dollar homes in the Santa Monica Mountains, shuttering a key highway and blanketing the area with thick smoke.

Witnesses said at least two homes had caught fire, with footage from the scene showing flames roaring up the hillsides.

The fire erupted mid-morning and swelled quickly, with dozens of firefighters deployed to battle the blaze, including from the air.

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Evacuation warnings were in place for a swath of the area.

The fire came as the area was being hit by seasonal Santa Ana winds that forecasters said could develop into the worst windstorm in a decade.

Gusts of up to 100 miles per hour were expected in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura, the National Weather Service said.

"HEADS UP!!! A LIFE-THREATENING, DESTRUCTIVE, Widespread Windstorm is expected Tue afternoon-Weds morning across much of Ventura/LA," the NWS said.

Red flag warnings of critical fire danger – the highest level of alert – were expected to remain in place until Thursday evening.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass wrote on social media that firefighters had been deployed in advance and were "aggressively" responding to the blaze.

"Angelenos in the area are urged to heed evacuation warnings and follow direction from public safety officials," she wrote.