The wildfires broke out in LA on Tuesday
The LA wildfires is the main story currently dominating news bulletins, so here’s everything we know about them and what cause them.
There are currently five wildfires ripping through Los Angeles, which have resulted in five deaths and 130,000 people being displaced from their homes.
Despite the best efforts of firefighters, the largest of those fires remains uncontained as weather conditions are fanning the flames.
The Palisades and Eaton fires are not contained but the Sunset fire that has been menacing the well-known Hollywood Hills area has started to shrink but is not yet contained. Evacuation orders for the Hollywood Hills West area have been lifted.
Nearly 2,000 structures are known to have been destroyed – including houses and schools, and businesses on the iconic Sunset Boulevard.
Among the celebrities who have lost their homes are Anthony Hopkins, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes just days ago, and Paris Hilton.
The insurance industry fears this could prove to be one of the costliest wildfire outbreaks in US history, with insured losses expected above $8bn (£6.5bn) due to the high value of properties in the paths of the blazes.
Where are the fires?
There are five fires currently burning out of control across the city.
The Palisades fire was the first to erupt on Tuesday and is the biggest in the region. It is likely it will become the most destructive fire in state history. It has scorched a sizable part of land, covering more than 17,200 acres, including the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood.
The Eaton fire has struck the northern part of Los Angeles, blazing through cities such as Altadena. It’s the second biggest fire in the area, burning around 10,600 acres.
Located just north of San Fernando, the Hurst fire began burning on Tuesday night and has grown to 855 acres, though firefighters have had some success in containing it.
The Lidia fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles and grew to cover almost 350 acres. Authorities say it has been 40% contained.
Meanwhile, the Sunset fire broke out Wednesday evening in Hollywood Hills, growing to about 20 acres in less than an hour. It covered around 43 acres but is now starting to shrink.
The Woodley and Olivas fires have been contained.
How did they start?
High winds and drought in the area has made vegetation very dry which means they burn easily.
The Santa Ana winds which blow from inland towards the coast has said to have played a role in the spread of the inferno.
With speeds of more than 60mph (97 km/h), these are believed to have fanned the flames.
Related links:
- House where Matthew Perry tragically died has been destroyed by LA wildfires
- Paris Hilton left devastated as she watches her house burn down on live TV
- Iconic Hollywood sign under threat as wildfires leave Sunset Boulevard ‘in ruins’
Alongside this, the impact of climate change has been cited as a factor.
Some 95% of wildfires in the area are started by humans, according to David Acuna, a battalion chief at the Californian Fire Service.
However, officials are yet to state how they think the current fires started.
In the coming days there could be a glimmer of hope for firefighters as the weather has been downgraded from extremely critical to critical, though the BBC’s weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas warns there is no rain forecast in the area for at least the next week, meaning conditions remain ripe for fire.
