A Maltese man living in Los Angeles has told of the devastation caused by unprecedented fires that have destroyed entire areas of the city. 

Neville Spiteri lives in the Marina Del Rey area of LA, around 15 kilometres away from the closest evacuation zone impacted by the raging Palisades fire.

Since early January, fires in the Palisades and Eaton areas of LA have burned through thousands of acres, claiming at least 24 lives and destroying more than 12,000 structures.

The Palisades fire alone has ravaged 95.96 square kilometres of land – around 1.5 times the size of Gozo.

“One day I walked out my front door, looked up at the sky and saw a huge plume of smoke, which kept getting larger and larger," Spiteri said.

"I’ve seen fires here before, but never like this. It’s been devastating to watch,” said Spiteri, who has been living in the US for the past 30 years.

The Palisades fire as seen from Spiteri's neighbourhood

Spiteri, a top software engineer and co-founder of virtual reality studio Wevr, said that while the area where he and his wife live is relatively low risk, they have an evacuation plan.

His business partner has lost his home, while his sister-in-law and her family had to evacuate.

“We aren’t in immediate danger. But the wind could change direction and strength at any moment,” he said.

As a resident of LA, Spiteri said this year's fires have been unprecedented in their scale and intensity. 

“People have been impacted in a way that’s never been seen before. It’s affecting residents from all walks of life, from those who can’t afford a hotel room to celebrities like Mel Gibson.”

Spiteri accompanied Gibson on his recent trip to Malta where he discussed a potential project - a limited television series about the Great Siege of Malta. 

Asked if he has any plans to relocate if fires of this magnitude become a regular occurrence, Spiteri said:

“It has been a wake-up call. My wife and I were planning to spend more time in Malta, and this will probably speed up those plans. But I can’t see myself leaving permanently – there’s a strong community here and I have lots of friends, and it’s important that I stay here for business,” he said.

But Spiteri said the fires have made him appreciate Malta’s stone buildings more than ever. 

“Fire isn’t something you really consider as a Maltese person. What’s ironic is that the only parts of the buildings left standing here are the chimneys, because they’re made of stone,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said that no Maltese citizens in the area had requested assistance. 

“Maltese nationals in the affected areas are advised to heed the advice of federal government as well as local fire and rescue authorities,” a ministry spokesperson said.