A video from the runway at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) appeared to show the moment the Palisades fire erupted Tuesday morning.
The footage from the X account Airline Videos showed smoke rising from the hills nearby shortly after 10:25 a.m. local time. Within a few hours, the blaze had spread across a wide area, destroying homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands of Californians.
Newsweek reached out to Airline Videos via email Friday morning.
The video is one of the earliest records of one of the most devastating wildfires in California's history and shows the fast-paced spread of the fire, which was headed toward homes within minutes.
The Palisades fire is one of several to have spread across the Los Angeles area this week and is the largest by some margin, having consumed around 19,978 acres as of Friday morning.
LAX has continued to operate normally for much of the week, and airline passengers have been given a bird's eye view of the devastation as it spread out beneath them.
As the fire began Tuesday morning, one passenger said on X, formerly Twitter, that she was on the runway and thought it was a factory emitting smoke.
In the footage shared by Airline Videos, which often streams videos of planes at LAX, host Kevin Ray could be heard saying this was "not something we want to see here in Southern California" as he quickly panned back to a view of the fire. The smoke plume quickly grew, fanned by the high winds that accelerated the disaster.
Firefighters have struggled to contain the fire, with just 6 percent under their control Thursday night. Crews were hoping that calmer winds would help with their efforts Friday, but that came after many homes and iconic landmarks were destroyed.
The cause of the Palisades fire remains under investigation Friday morning, while a suspect was arrested on suspicion of arson over the Kenneth fire in the Woodland Hills neighborhood.
Kevin Ray, who runs Airline Videos, on X: "Watching the replay of Tuesday's show and seeing the Palisades fire ignite and grow into a major blaze within minutes was truly heartbreaking. The complete destruction reported over the past few days is devastating, and my heart goes out to everyone affected by the fires that have swept through the Southland."
California Governor Gavin Newsom, on X: "Thank you to our brave firefighters working around the clock to combat the blaze fueled by hurricane-force winds. Please continue to heed emergency orders from local officials and first responders."
Los Angeles Fire Department said Friday morning that officers were gaining ground on containing the fire. Hundreds of inmates from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation were also brought in to assist crews where needed.