The fires are raging on several fronts. Among them are powerful fires just a few hundred meters from the well-known Hollywood Boulevard, and residents in the area have been ordered to evacuate. They are some of the over 130,000 people who have received an evacuation order, a figure that has increased since the fires broke out.
One of the five people confirmed dead is 66-year-old Victor Shaw. He died when he ignored the evacuation order to try to save his childhood home, his sister Shari tells local TV station KTLA. It was also the siblings' shared home, but she felt forced to leave when the flames surrounded her.
When I went back in and called his name, he didn't answer, she says.
The winds are expected to subside
The house is one of nearly 2,000 homes and buildings destroyed, with the figure constantly increasing as tens of thousands of properties are threatened by the fires.
Another person who has seen their home go up in flames is evacuee William Gonzales.
We've lost almost everything, the flames have consumed all our dreams, he tells AFP.
Since the fires broke out, strong winds have hindered the firefighters' work. The rapid spread and size have been difficult to tackle, and there are not enough firefighters, said Chief Anthony Marrone.
We're doing the best we can, he said.
As Los Angeles wakes up to another day of fires on Thursday, the wind is not expected to be as fierce. This could enable the firefighters to hold back the fires.
Biden cancels foreign trip
One of the affected neighborhoods is the celebrity-studded Pacific Palisades, where the fire started on Tuesday and has since grown to become the most destructive fire in modern Los Angeles history, according to statistics from the Wildfire Alliance. The flames spread quickly due to the strong winds.
The White House has announced that President Joe Biden is canceling his last planned foreign trip, which was to go to Rome, due to the fires. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre writes in a statement that the decision was made after Biden met with police and rescue personnel on site in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and that the focus is on directing the "full-scale federal response" to the crisis.
