Firefighters in Santa Barbara, California are attempting to contain a wildfire threatening Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's beachside retreat.

The couple's vacation home is just over a mile away from one of the hotspots of the blaze, which has ripped through 1,200 acres after beginning in Los Padres National Forest on Wednesday afternoon (15Jun16).

Mandatory evacuations in the area are underway and the blaze forced the authorities to close the 101 freeway in both directions overnight.

No injuries or structural damage has been reported, according to Forest Service officials, who are directing the firefight with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.