Iconic Hollywood sign under threat as wildfires leave Sunset Boulevard ‘in ruins’

Fires started in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night

Some 1,900 buildings and structures have been destroyed as blazes continue to burn in and around the city, and more than 130,000 people are under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area.

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office confirmed five people had been killed by the wildfires.

One of the areas worst-hit is the Pacific Palisades, where the fire has become the most destructive in the history of LA. The picturesque neighbourhood, made up of hillside streets in the Santa Monica Mountains which lead down to beaches, is popular with A-listers, with many owning properties there.

The latest inferno, which has been named Sunset Fire by the Los Angeles Fire Department, broke out in the Hollywood Hills and has already torn through Sunset Boulevard.

According to the LA Times, the famous 23.6-mile strip is "in ruins", with the publication describing the scene looking like "a bomb had detonated."

The fire is continuing to spread and is starting to encroach on the famous Hollywood sign in the hills.

The Sunset Fire broke out on Wednesday evening and has spread to cover an area of about 43 acres.

Tinder-dry conditions and strong winds have caused the fires to spread rapidly, with the LAFD saying on Wednesday that they were unable to control the blazes.

According to Cal Fire, there are at least five fires raging in the LA area and nearby regions. The first of these was the Palisades Fire, which is the biggest fire and has covered more than 17,200 acres.

The other fires are:

• Eaton: Burning in the northern part of LA, this is the second-biggest fire and is covering around 10,600 acres
• Hurst: This fire began burning on Tuesday night just north of San Fernando and has grown to 855 acres
• Lidia: The blaze broke out on Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton region to the north of LA. It grew to cover almost 350 acres, but authorities say it has been 40 per cent contained.
• Sunset: Starting in the Hollywood Hills, the fire broke out on Wednesday evening and covered 20 acres in less than an hour.

Two other fires, Woodly and Olivas, have been contained, local authorities have said.