Thousands have been forced to flee their homes as the Los Angeles wildfires continue to tear through America’s second-largest city, with five deaths confirmed so far.
As the rest of the world watches on in horror, residents are living in a real-life nightmare as entire neighbourhoods are burnt to the ground.
Firefighters are currently having to tackle separate blazes in the Eaton, Hurst, Lidia and Sunset areas, as well as the largest in Palisades – now the most destructive in state history after being the first to break out on Tuesday.
What’s caused the LA fires?
As California’s wildfire season doesn’t tend to start until late spring, traditionally running through to October or November, the blame on this occasion has fallen on high winds and drought.
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While many fires are started by humans, officials are yet to state what they believe the root cause to be.
Instead, many believe it’s less about the origin, and more about why these have spread so quickly and dangerously – something that the Santa Ana winds are behind, fanning the flames with winds of more than 60mph.
In a video shared by the California Department of Foresty and Fire Protection, Information Officer Joshua Mott explained: “It’s not that there are more fires when it’s windy, it’s that the wind makes them faster and more dangerous.
“Winds not only push the fire, but they also dry out fuels, provide more oxygen for the fire to grow, and spread embers farther in front of the main body of the fire, making containment efforts much more difficult.
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“This is why extreme winds can quickly turn small fires into major disasters.
"In the first week of January alone, there have already been more than 55 wildfires, with several of them forcing major evacuations.”
He added: “It’s not about how fires start, it’s about how quickly they can spread when the conditions are just right.”
What are police saying about the LA fires?
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said yesterday that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has been on ‘citywide tactical alert’.
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A statement from the force, shared via X, said: “The LAPD remains vigilant during the ongoing fires throughout the City of LA and has deployed officers for high visibility patrol during the tactical alert.”
It added: “At this time, we have received no information regarding looting or other criminal activity in the affected areas.”
Los Angeles county sheriff Robert Luna also called on residents to be ‘prepared’.
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"If you are in a warning area, make sure you have your essentials; Your important paperwork, your medications, things that you can take, your phone charger, to survive for at least a week,” he said.
“But if you are told to evacuate and given an order, there is nothing worth your life."
Luna added: "Please listen to the police and fire officials that are out there, and be prepared to evacuate."
Which celebrities have been affected by the LA fires?
The wildfires have forced more than 137,000 people to flee their homes - including many of the A-list celebrities who live in the area.
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The Simple Life star and mother-of-two Paris Hilton, 43, confirmed she ‘watched [her] house burn down live on TV’, as Mandy Moore took to Instagram to share how ‘devastated and gutted’ she is after watching her neighbourhood burn down.
Anna Faris, Billy Crystal, Ricki Lake and James Woods are also among those who have tragically lost their homes, with Stephanie Pratt confirming that her brother Spencer and his wife Heidi had suffered the same devastation.
“I am beyond heartbroken for my brother, Heidi & the kids," she said on Instagram.
“And to all of our friends and neighbours who have lost their houses today.
"Just spoke to my dad - he tried to save my brother's house but the wind is so strong there was nothing he could do. Even the fire station in the Palisades has burned down. The Pacific Palisades is completely on fire. No one is there."
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill said a ‘last-minute’ evacuation notice forced him to flee his Malibu home, confirming he saw ‘small fires on both sides of the road’.
“Most horrific fire since ‘93,” the 73-year-old wrote, adding: “STAY SAFE!”
Adam Brody and Leighton Meester's house is also believed to have been hit by the fires, while Chrissy Teigen and her family are holed up in a hotel with their pets as she admitted she felt 'very scared'.
Jamie-Lee Curtis has spoken out about her own evacuation agony in an emotional appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, saying: “I’m literally just about to cry.”
She added: "It’s f**king gnarly. This is literally where I live. Everything. The market I shop in, the schools my kids go to… Many many many many friends now have lost their homes, so it is, it’s a really awful situation.”
Will the LA fires be brought under control?
BBC weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas said no rain is forecast in the area for at least the next week, which is obviously bad news for any hopes of nature intervening.
However, there is a ray of hope in that the fire weather outlook for southern California has now been downgraded from ‘extremely critical’ to ‘critical’.
Topics: US News
Jess Hardiman