Deadly wildfires out of control across Los Angeles area

A fast-moving fire in the Hollywood Hills erupted on Wednesday night as more evacuations were ordered for Los Angeles residents and fire crews battled three other major blazes that killed at least five people.

The Sunset Fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and other iconic landmarks in the Hollywood Hills.

Winds were easing and firefighters from across the state were relieving exhausted crews, but the danger was far from over. As officials provided an update on the fires, a new blaze broke out in the Hollywood Hills, and evacuation orders were also extended to Santa Monica.

More than 1,000 structures, mostly homes, have been destroyed, and more than 130,000 people are under evacuation orders in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, a number that continues to shift as new fires erupt.

In Pasadena, between 200 and 500 structures have been damaged or lost from the Eaton Fire that started Tuesday night.

A home burns along Sunset Boulevard during the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, U.S., January 8, 2025. /CFP

On the Pacific Coast west of downtown Los Angeles, a major fire leveled entire blocks, reducing grocery stores and banks to rubble in the Pacific Palisades.

More than 1,000 structures were destroyed in the Palisades fire, the most destructive in the modern history of LA.

The scope of the destruction was just becoming clear: Block after block of California Mission Style homes and bungalows were reduced to nothing but charred remains dotted by stone fireplaces and blackened arched entryways. Ornate iron railing wrapped around the smoldering frame of one house. The apocalyptic scenes spread for miles.

Swimming pools were blackened with soot, and sports cars slumped on melted tires.

Beyond the burned areas, residents worked wearing N95 masks, unable to escape the toxic smoke wafting over huge sections of the city.