At least 24 people have died in the Los Angeles fires as two major blazes continue to burn across the sprawling Californian city.
Firefighters made progress over the weekend in containing the Palisades and Eaton fires but warn that the return of high winds – forecast until Wednesday – could see them spread again.
They are already among the most destructive in LA’s history in terms of buildings destroyed.
What’s the latest?
The largest fire is in the Palisades and it has burnt through more than 23,000 acres. But over the weekend thousands of firefighters made progress in containing about 14% of it.
The blaze is moving east, threatening the exclusive neighbourhood of Brentwood, home to the Getty Center, a world-famous art museum that has now evacuated its staff.
A red flag warning – indicating a high level of fire danger – will be in place until 18:00 (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday, with the strongest Santa Ana winds expected on Tuesday.
The other fire, Eaton, is more deadly than Palisades so far – responsible for 16 of the 24 dead, with many more still missing.
The number of people under evacuation orders in LA County has decreased since Saturday, but the destruction is immense.
More than 12,000 structures – homes, outbuildings, sheds, mobile homes and cars -have been destroyed, including 7,000 in the Eaton fire.
The fires could turn out to be the costliest in US history, with damage projected at up to $150bn, according to a preliminary estimate by AccuWeather.
Celebrities who have lost their homes include Mel Gibson, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes last week, and Paris Hilton.
Tens of thousands of homes are also without power.
Where are the fires?
There are two active fires in the wider area, while a smaller fire is nearly contained, say California fire officials:
- Palisades: The first fire to erupt a week ago and the biggest in the region. It has scorched 23,713 acres as of Monday, including the upmarket Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. It was 14% contained as of Monday
- Eaton: Affecting the northern part of LA, blazing through areas such as Altadena. It is the second biggest fire in the area, burning more than 14,000 acres. It is 33% contained
- Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it began burning last Tuesday night. It has grown to 799 acres, and is almost fully contained
The earlier Kenneth, Archer, Sunset, Lidia, Woodley and Olivas fires have been contained.
What does it mean for a fire to be contained?
Containment describes the progress firefighters make in controlling the spread of flames.
It’s often listed as a percentage – for example the most recent update on the massive Palisades fire has it as 14% contained.
This means fire crews have established barriers around 14% of the fire’s perimeter.
Natural barriers include roads, rivers and oceans. Firefighters can also create barriers using equipment such as bulldozers, hoses and shovels to remove vegetation down to the bare soil, meaning there is nothing for the fire to burn.
A fire being 100% contained doesn’t mean it has been extinguished, but rather that the flames have been fully encircled and the spread has been effectively stopped.
Was LA prepared for the fires?
A political row about the city’s preparedness has erupted after it emerged some fire crews’ hoses ran dry.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure to hydrants and why the Santa Ynez Reservoir was closed for maintenance and empty when the fire broke out.
“Losing supplies from fire hydrants likely impaired the effort to protect some homes and evacuation corridors,” he wrote.
- Fact-checking criticism of California Democrats over fires
Mayor Karen Bass, who was on a previously arranged trip to Ghana when the fires began, has faced intense questions about the region’s preparedness and the water issues.
On Saturday, she deflected questions about her handling of the emergency, telling a news conference: “Right now, our first and most important obligation to Angelenos is to get through this crisis.”
Before the fires broke out, the city of LA’s fire chief warned in a memo that budget cuts were hampering the department’s ability to respond to emergencies.
But LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone has denied that his department had been unprepared.
“I did everything in my power to make sure that we had enough personnel and resources before the first fire started,” he said.
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