California investigating lack of water in hydrants during LA fires: Live updates

Gavin Newsom has announced an investigation into the lack of water during the Los Angeles wildfires.

LA officials have claimed unprecedented demand for water outpaced the supply and that was the reason for the delay.

President Biden yesterday said it was down to power being cut from a key plant.

The cause remains unclear - and Californians are outraged.

Newsom, who has been widely panned for his handling of the disaster, announced the investigation on Friday on X.

A retired Texas waste-management mogul whose home went viral for withstanding the Los Angeles wildfires while his neighbors' properties burned has revealed the secret to its survival.

David Steiner said it was a 'miracle' his $9 million Malibu mansion was still standing.

However, his thorough earthquake proofing may also have something to do with it.

Designed to withstand tremors, the property features ultra-sturdy construction, including stucco and stone walls, a fireproof roof, and pilings driven 50 feet into bedrock to withstand the pounding surf below.

'To be totally honest with you, I never in a million years thought a wildfire would jump to the Pacific Coast Highway and start a fire,' Steiner told the New York Post..

'I thought, "If we ever have an earthquake, this would be the last thing to go." I honestly didn't think that if we had a fire, this would be the last thing to go. The architecture is pretty nice. But the stucco and fireproof roof are real nice.'

Mandy Moore's pregnant sister-in-law broke down in tears during a TV interview where she discussed losing her home in the California wildfires.

Kit Goldsmith appeared on CNN with her husband Griffin and spoke of her agony over losing their property, just weeks before she is due to give birth to their first child.

The couple are among the tens of thousands of people who have been displaced by the Eaton Fire and other blazes raging in Los Angeles over the last few days.

They are now scrambling to find somewhere to find somewhere to have their baby.

Goldsmith said the worst aspect has been losing her community so close to giving birth.

'We had so many friends and a massive support group there that I was really planning to lean on,' Goldsmith added, before collapsing into sobs.

'Losing them is almost harder than losing our home because I know we're all going to be scattered from each other.'

Biden's team seriously vetted the then-congressional Black Caucus chairwoman.

Bass endorsed Biden for president in mid-March and represented Los Angeles in the House of Representatives for five terms before becoming mayor in 2022

She rose to more notoriety as she unveiled the Democrat's police reform bill and publicly weighed in on race relations between the black community and law enforcement.

Rachel Darvish told Fox News she was furious with the California Governor after he was left scrambling for a response when she chased him down.

Newsom claimed to be trying to reach President Biden on the phone at the time but said he couldn't get cell service, which Darvish argued was indicative of his mismanagement of the crisis.

This is the shocking moment KTLA's John Fenoglio, a former EMT and volunteer firefighter, helps extinguish flames while reporting in the Eaton Fire in Altadena.

Melania Trump expressed her sympathy for the victims of the California wildfires and said she hoped President Joe Biden's administration was giving people the help they need.

'It's devastating. I'm thinking about those people, and I pray for them,' she told Fox & Friends.

'I just hope that everybody evacuated and that they are safe, and I hope that the government and FEMA is there to help them,' she added.

'They know every single thing we’re doing about this response,' President Joe Biden said on Friday.

However, Biden took a shot at President-elect Donald Trump, who he referred to as 'someone from the other team,' by mocking his call to sweep the forest floors to reduce fire dangers.

'C’mon man,' he said.

Biden said it would be a better idea to bury electricity transmission wires, which would be 'a hell of a lot safer' but would cost 'a hell of a lot of money' to do.

Biden hosted a briefing on the wildfires in the Oval Office on Friday. Vice President Kamala Harris was also there, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appeared virtually.

Biden described the fires as the 'worst in California history' and 'we still got a long way to go.'

Although progress has been made, the winds that have fanned the flames could remain a threat for days.

Harris said people responding to the fires are showing 'the best of the American spirit.'

The Kardashians have all evacuated their Hidden Hills and Calabasas mansions amid the LA fires.

A new apocalyptic, fast-moving inferno, named the Kenneth Fire, threatened to rip through the desirable neighborhoods - with the famous family all living just six miles from one another.

DailyMail.com has confirmed the family, Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner along with their loved ones have successfully evacuated the area.

The high school where Stephen King’s Carrie was brought to to life, Will Rogers’ ranch house and a motel owned by William Randolph Hearst are among some of the famous structures that have been damaged or destroyed by the California wildifres.

A quirky Los Angeles-area oddity, The Bunny Museum, in Altadena and dedicated to all things bynnies, was also destroyed.

Moreover, the 1915 Spanish Colonial Revival mansion that played Deborah Vance’s Los Angeles home in the HBO series “Hacks” was located in Altadena and fell victim to the Eaton fire. According to the trade publication Deadline, only the facade remains.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass demanded her Fire Department make an extra $49million of budget cuts last week, a leaked memo revealed.

This cut is already on top of $17.6million of cuts in her latest budget.

The extra cuts, requested just days before fires broke out and devastated swathes of Los Angeles, would have shut down 16 fire stations and crippled the department's ability to respond to emergencies, sources said.

Many celebrities, like Paris Hilton and Ricki Lake, have seen their homes burned to the ground, and are facing a devastating loss.

On Friday, Mayer, 47, took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a heartfelt message about the loss and devastation - and snapped a photo of the most valuable thing that he owns.

Investigators are considering an array of possible ignition sources for the fires that have killed at least 10 and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.

In hilly, upscale Pacific Palisades, officials have placed the origin of the wind-whipped blaze behind a home on Piedra Morada Drive, which sits above a densely wooded arroyo.

While lightning is the most common source of fires in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators were able to rule that out quickly. There were no reports of lightning in the Palisades area or the terrain around the Eaton fire, which started in east Los Angeles County and has also destroyed hundreds of homes.

The next two most common causes: fires intentionally set, and those sparked by utility lines.

The suspected arsonist who was caught with a blow torch and taken down by neighbors in Los Angeles has already been released from custody because police say there's not enough evidence to charge him.

The man, who has not yet been named, was filmed in the street on Thursday holding seemingly holding a blowtorch.

Furious neighbors tackled him then waited for police to arrive. He was taken into custody but was released on Friday, LA County sheriff's deputies announced.

Read more about his initial arrest:

A former Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter who was fired for refusing the COVID vaccine sounded off on city officials for worsening the disaster.

John Knox told Fox's Jesse Watters: There was five that were terminated. Originally, back in December 21, there was 160 people... it's a long story. They terminated individuals for standing up for their civil rights, which they so gladly promote on another side.'

In another crushing development from the Los Angeles fires, it has been revealed a key reservoir that can hold 1.5million gallons of water was offline and empty when the Pacific Palisades fire broke out.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the reservoir was empty because workers were repairing its cover.

A Change.org petition calling for Mayor Karen Bass's resignation had reached 33,000 signatures on Friday as the fallout over the apocalytpic fires raged on.

Bass, who refuses to address her failures, was in Africa attending the inauguration of the Ghanian president when the blazes broke out on Monday.

She returned, but has since failed to answer for the city's shortcomings.

Among them is an enormous cut to the city's budget and firefighting funds.

California was hit by an earthquake Friday as the state battles deadly wildfires.

A 3.7 magnitude quake was detected near the San Francisco Bay area around 7:02am PT, with its epicenter about five miles southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge and two miles west of the Great Highway.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) shows more than 5,000 people reported feeling the shake in the area, and the number is growing.

Rows of glitzy waterfront houses lay in charred ruins after the punishing blaze ripped through them - save for one miracle structure which stood alone.

The $8million mansion, which was built in 2000 and owned by waste management CEO David Steiner, is now flanked by smoldering debris on all sides.

The actress - one of the A-listers whose homes were damaged as the wild fire swept through the city this week - was slammed by many after she shared a GoFundMe for her family members on Instagram.

But Moore did not hold back when replying to those asking her whether she was contributing funds to her family.

Allison Agsten, a local, told KTLA she saw looters arriving in vehicles to her neighborhood and going up to the doors of multiple homes.

She said her neighbor then told her '100 men in scooters' arrived in the area and were trying to get into 'any and all' the houses.

Brian Norgard, former CPO of Tinder, claimed he saw over 10 crews of 'cartel organized looters' in the Hollywood Hills.

Nathan Hochman, who replaced progressive LA district attorney George Gascon, issued a message vowing to go after looters who take advantage of the wildfires to commit crimes.

A Canadian firefighting plane was grounded after it collided with a civilian frone on Thursday.

The aircraft is able to dip into the ocean and collect as many as 1,500 gallons of water at a time to fight flames.

'We would like to remind everyone that flying a drone in the midst of firefighting efforts is a federal crime and punishable by up to 12 months in prison or a fine of up to $75,000,' Los Angeles Fire Department Spokesperson Erik Scott said on X.

Tom Hanks' $26million home in the Pacific Palisades narrowly avoided the raging LA wildfire wreaking unimaginable havoc on the celeb-loved enclave.

The devastating fire — one of six that have terrorized Los Angeles in recent days — has burned more than 17,000 acres of land and destroyed over 1,000 structures.

Nearly 40,000 residents in the Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas of Malibu and Santa Monica were forced to evacuate. As of Thursday, the fire remains entirely uncontained.

While a slew of A-list stars saw their homes turn to ash, Hanks' white cliffside mansion appeared virtually untouched in a new photo obtained by DailyMail.com.

Hanks' 4,513 square-foot house was situated just far enough away from the actor's nearest neighbor, whose home was completely destroyed by fire.

• Read the full story by Carly Johnson here

The devastation wrought by the hellish wildfires tearing through Los Angeles has been brought into horrifying focus thanks to a series of new before and after images.

A mix of aerial drone and helicopter pictures, images obtained by passing satellites and up close snaps taken by brave journalists and citizens exploring the ruins came together to encapsulate the scale of the catastrophe.

Huge swathes of LA and its coastline are seen laid to waste in the graphic pictures, with countless houses and structures having imploded under the ferocious heat and power of the fires.

Other stunning images showed how Malibu - a beachside paradise just days ago - was obliterated by the inferno, its signature rows of palm trees reduced to blackened stumps.

Rows of glitzy waterfront houses lay in charred ruins after the punishing blaze ripped through them - save for one miracle structure which stood alone, flanked by smoking debris on all sides.

• Read David Averre's report here and see the before and after photos

Olympic swimming champion Gary Hall Jr has told CNN he believes he has lost his 10 Olympic medals and six world championship medals won following a stellar career in the pool.

Hall Jr represented the US in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics winning five golds in total but says he fears he won't see them again after he escaped his home in Palisades.

He said:

I thought I had more time. I saw the fire charging down the hill and knew that I had to get out of there. I opened up the back of my SUV, I loaded a painting, one other object.

The medals were in a closet in my bedroom, 70 feet away, and I didn’t have time to go get them. From the time that I saw the first plume of smoke at the top of the hill. I had about three minutes between then and when it came charging towards me.

Firefighters battling the Palisades Fire, the most severe wildfire across Los Angeles County, have said calmer winds today will hopefully see them 'turn a corner' on the fire.

The blaze has so far torched around 20,000 acres in Southern California with firefighters struggling to contain it, but those on the scene suggest there is reasons to be optimistic.

Brent Pascua, battalion chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said:

Yesterday we were very hopeful that we could turn a corner on this fire, and we did. It’s going to take a lot more work to see that (containment) grow. But we’re headed in the right direction.'

On Friday morning, firefighters said the blaze was around 6% contained which rescuers hoped would double by the end of the day.

Stunning images have shown how one Malibu beachside paradise survived the inferno which obliterated neighbouring homes.

With the iconic LA neighbourhood's signature rows of palm trees reduced to blackened stumps, one incredible shot captured the glitzy home standing tall amidst plumes of smoke.

The row of waterfront houses lay in charred ruins after the punishing blaze ripped through them - apart from the one miracle structure which stood alone, flanked by smoldering debris on all sides.

The Los Angeles Rams have announced that their NFL Wild Card game against the Minnesota Vikings next Monday has been moved to Arizona.

Following consultation with public officials and the NFL, the decision was made 'in the interest of public', a short statement read.

The pivotal end-of-season game had been scheduled to take place at the multi-billion dollar SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, but will now be played at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals.

The decision comes off the back of a fire breaking out just several miles from the Rams training complex in Woodland Hills yesterday.

A pre-planned post-practice media briefing with Rams players was cancelled as a result.

A man armed with a flamethrower was arrested by fellow citizens on Thursday evening in LA.

The group of concerned residents intervened after the man allegedly attempted to light another fire in the Woodland Hills area.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) have since confirmed the arrest of the suspected arsonist who they say is in his mid-20s.

Restrained by Woodland Hills residents using zip ties and rope, the suspect was described as carrying with him a 'propane tank, or a big yellow tank, like a flamethrower'.

Authorities are yet to confirm whether the individual is responsible for starting any of the current fires which LA is enduring.

The arrest comes after investigators previously indicated their belief that the fires may have been intentionally started, though this is yet to be confirmed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have donated a host of essential supplies to LA fire victims such as clothing and children's items.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have also opened the doors of the £29million mansion to friends and family forced to evacuate from other parts of the city.

In a statement on their website, the couple said: 'If a friend, loved one, or pet has to evacuate and you are able to offer them a safe haven in your home, please do.

'And be sure to check in with any disabled or elderly neighbors to see if they need help evacuating'.

The couple are also said to be in contact with chef Jose Andres and are working alongside his World Central Kitchen, which supplies meals in the wake of natural disasters.

On Wednesday morning, firefighters tackling fires in the Palisades area were met by empty fire hydrants.

The issue is not as a result of drought or low water levels though, according to city officials.

Water reserves in California have actually been surprisingly boosted in recent times due to two consecutive rainy winters and the state's strict water-rationing policies.

Prior to the outbreak of the Palisades fire, all 114 of LA's water storage tanks were filled to the brim.

And while much of these reserves have now been used combatting the blazes across the city, officials say that demand at lower elevations is to blame for Palisades hydrants drying up.

Janisse Quiñones, chief executive and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), said on Wednesday: 'We had a tremendous demand on our system in the Palisades. We pushed the system to the extreme.

'Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure'.

DWP officials added that water pressure and supply from hydrants in non-hilly terrain remains strong.

Hollywood actress Jamie Lee Curtis has revealed she is donating $1million towards LA fire relief efforts.

The Trading Places star made the announcement via Instagram on Thursday and also shared that she had been in contact with Californian governor Gavin Newsom to discuss where the funds would be best directed.

The donation comes after Curtis fought back tears on Wednesday's The Tonight Show when discussing the 'catastrophic' Palisades fires with host Jimmy Fallon.

Curtis also revealed that her own LA home remains safe for the time being but that many of her friends have seen their properties burned to the ground.

Official forecasters have warned that weather conditions on Friday and through the weekend have the potential to 'exacerbate' fires across Los Angeles.

Further strong winds are expected on Friday, according to the National Weather Service (NSW).

There is the possibilty that these winds continue and even strengthen heading into early next week.

NSW forecasters have also stated that winds could reach well above 50mph, further complicating firefighting efforts in the LA area.

Multiple firefighting aircraft have already been filmed over the last number of days struggling to effectively drop water loads over fires due to high winds.

When combined with a predicated lack of rainfall, the NSW warned that increased winds could 'exacerbate the antecedent conditions'.

Take That star Mark Owen and his family have been forced to flee their LA home as the city's fires rage on.

On Thursday, the 52-year-old singer, his wife, his three children, and their animals had to immediately evacuate after they awoke to 'helicopters, thick black smoke and winds howling'.

In an Instagram video posted after the evacuation, Owen's wife Emma Ferguson updated followers on the family's wellbeing.

'I'm so tired, I don't think anyone in LA is sleeping right now', the British actress said.

'I'm popping back on here, we've had so many messages of people just checking if we're ok – friends and family back home and there are so many messages.

'They're so lovely, we just don't have the energy or the time to individually send details. 

'Just to let you know that we are safe, we are still safe, myself and the two girls are at a hotel with the two smaller dogs and the hamsters'.

A firefighting aircraft was struck by a drone which was flying in restricted airspace above the Palisades fire on Thursday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The Super Scooper plane, which was being used at the time to drop water on top of the raging fires below, sustained 'wing damage' and needed to be grounded after the collision.

According to The War Zone, who cited Cal Fire, the aircraft was one of the two planes deployed to the LA area with the capability of dropping over 1,500 gallons of ocean water on top of active fires.

The incident is currently under investigation by the FAA, who urged drone users not affiliated with the LA firefighting operation to not fly in restricted airspace.

'The FAA treats these violations seriously and immediately considers swift enforcement action for these offenses,' an agency statement said.

Unauthorised drone use has the potential to ground air tankers, reduce fire response capabilities and possibly even cost lives, the agency added.

Fines for drone users in the state can rise to $75,000, with interference in firefighting efforts also punishable by a prison sentence of up to 12 months.

Actor Mel Gibson has revealed that his LA mansion burned to the ground whilst he was recording a podcast with Joe Rogan in Austin, Texas.

During his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, the Oscar winner shared how he did not yet know whether his home had been spared from the 'inferno' which had ripped through his neighbourhood.

However, appearing on NewsNation, the 69-year-old told host Elizabeth Vargas how he had arrived back in LA to find his Malibu home eviscerated.

'I was doing the Rogan podcast, I was kind of ill at ease while we were talking because I knew my neighbourhood was on fire, so I thought 'I wonder if my place is still there', but when I got home, sure enough, it wasn't there,' he said.

'I've never seen such a complete burn, it is obviously devastating, it's emotional', he added.

Robert Luna, Los Angeles County Sheriff, has said a nighttime curfew across certain areas of LA has been planned.

California's National Guard will be supporting local law enforcement in enforcing the curfew and patroling the impacted areas.

The announcement came amid reports of looting across the city.

State governor Gavin Newsom took to social media late on Thursday evening to denounce looters.

The Democratic politician stated: 'Taking advantage of evacuated communties is absolutely sick.

'Looting will not be tolerated'.

Anyone caught in violation of the curfew could face fines of up to $1,000 or a prison sentence of up to six months.

The damage caused to homes and infrastructure could total $150billion, according to AccuWeather.

Specialising in weather and its impact, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the company has increased its estimate of the economic impact of the fires.

With the original cause of the blazes yet to be determined, authorities have still not declared the fires a natural disaster.

Should they do so, these figures could see the LA fires become the second most costly natural disaster in the history of the United States, only behind Hurricane Katrina which had an estimated cost of $200billion in 2005.

Paris Hilton made an emotional return to the charred remains of her Malibu beach house which was destroyed in the catastrophic fires throughout Southern California.

It comes just one day after insiders told TMZ that the house had 'burned to a crisp' and the star herself revealed she saw the property 'burn to the ground on live TV.'

The TV personality, 43, had purchased the two-story residence in 2021 for $8.4 million - and once led down to La Costa beach.

Hilton shared a heartbreaking video to her Instagram page on Thursday as she discovered what was left of the property and got candid about being left in 'complete shock.'

She filmed the clip while walking through the remains of the entrance which was still standing, but then revealed that the rest of the house had been reduced to a pile of rubble after being destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire.

Paris wrote, 'I'm standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.'

'When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock - I couldn't process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces.'

Sources told DailyMail.com that a resident called 911 to report a male  attempting to set a fire at the 21700 block of Ybarra road at around 4.30pm.

The suspect was arrested and taken to Topanga station.

The affluent suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, home to the Kardashians, have been issued an urgent evacuation order as a new apocalyptic fire tears through West Hills.

Heroic first responders were alerted to a new fire in the upper Los Angeles-Ventura County border, named the Kenneth Fire, spreading rapidly through the West Hills and encroaching upon homes in nearby Calabasas and Hidden Hills.

Officials issued a chilling warning on Thursday night urging residents not to ignore the evacuation orders, with Senator Adam Schiff bluntly revealing: 'If you stay, you're going to die.'

Chaos has sparked in Los Angeles County as 9.6million residents were wrongly told to evacuate the raging wildfires.

The entire population was mistakenly told to leave the area Thursday evening, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

Hahn took to X shortly after the notification went out, stating that it 'was mistakenly issued,' and was actually meant for the areas affected by the Kenneth Fire in Woodland Hills.

While most of the Pacific Palisades has been reduced to ash and rubble after it was caught in the path of the devastating California wildfires, the iconic Getty Museum is still standing after implementing a simple routine.

The museum's successful efforts to keep the fire at bay begs the question: why didn't Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass use similar tactics to protect homes and land?

Bass is under pressure to resign amid the ongoing wildfire crisis, with revelations heroic firefighters had trouble accessing enough water to fight infernos and hydrants were empty.

She slashed the LA Fire Department's budget by $17.6million in 2024 after being talked down from $23million in cuts, and officials ignored warnings about the threat of fire.

Getty Trust President and Chief Executive Katherine E. Fleming told the LA Times staff sprung to action as soon as they were aware of a heightened risk of fire.

The 75-year-old Oscar winner now joins a growing list of Hollywood figures whose homes have been destroyed as the fires claim at least five lives and force 130,000 evacuations.

The 4-bedroom beachfront estate, once owned by Jeff’s parents—legendary Hollywood actors Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges—was a cherished family legacy, as reported by TMZ.

The Weather Channel has confirmed it did not share footage of human remains in the aftermath of the LA wildfires after viewers claimed to have spotted a body.

TV watchers said debris spotted on screen resembled a dead person, but The Weather Channel has since told DailyMail.com that it was rubble from a ruined house.

A spokesperson said: 'These social media claims are inaccurate and completely false.

'We have 100% confirmed that the video shows debris from the aftermath of a house fire and nothing else.'

On Wednesday, multiple social media users claimed to have spotted a dead body in the aftermath of fires in Los Angeles.

Allen Media Group, which owns The Weather Channel, later sent photos of the discovery from another angle which clearly show debris.

California Gavin Newsom was left grasping for a response after he was confronted by an emotional constituent demanding answers about the Los Angeles wildfire relief effort.

The woman told him her daugher's school was among the buildings ravaged by the flames as she relentlessly grilled Newsom outside his vehicle.

The Governor responded by claiming he was on the phone to the president trying to find solutions, but it later transpired that he had not been able to reach him yet.

The tense back-and-forth ended with Newsom getting into his car despite the protests of the distraught mom.

Embattled Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has shrugged off calls for her to resign over her response to devastating wildfires.

Speaking at a press conference, she said: 'We have to protect lives, we have to save lives and we have to save homes.

'Rest assured when that is done, when we are safe, we will absolutely an evaluation to look at what worked, what didn't work.'

Furious residents had blasted Bass for traveling to Ghana while the city burns, despite a warning for 'critical' weather conditions in the days prior.

She addressed the backlash on Thursday, and attempted to quell the growing anger over her trip overseas.

When asked if her leadership was effective, she said: 'I just said what I believe is the most important thing for us to do right now. That's going to continued to be my focus.'

Bass flew out to attend the West African country's presidential inauguration on Tuesday, after meteorologists warned that a 'recipe for fire' was on track to strike LA.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the downtown business district of Pacific Palisades burn on January 8

Flames from the huge Eaton Fire are threatening to engulf a communications station and an observatory atop Mount Wilson.

The tower high above the San Gabriel Valley controls local TV and radio transmissions, as well as vital emergency service communications.

A line of red flame retardant could be seen near the structures as flames from the 10,600 acre fire advanced.

'There are firefighters on the grounds but the power is out at the Observatory so communication is limited,' a statement from the historic building said.

'We are monitoring the situation and will update here as we can.'

Aerial footage shows thick plumes of smoke billowing around the tower.

The Eaton Fire is one of several still burning in Los Angeles County, as sustained winds continue to fuel the blazes.

Donald Trump has slammed California Governor Gavin Newsom over the blazing wildfires ravaging the Golden State.

The president-elect also offered his advice on how to tackle the fires which have engulfed homes and devastated communities.

'Governor Gavin Newscum should immediately go to Northern California and open up the water main, and let the water flow into his dry, starving, burning State, instead of having it go out into the Pacific Ocean,' Trump wrote on Truth Social.

'It ought to be done right now, NO MORE EXCUSES FROM THIS INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR. IT’S ALREADY FAR TOO LATE!'

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has confirmed that the Sunset Fire has been contained.

The blaze which broke out in the Hollywood Hills was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and other iconic landmarks.

Firefighters were able to hold the blaze, but firefighters were able to hold that blaze somewhat after it began on Wednesday night.

By the time it was contained it had raged across 43 acres.

The Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires continue to blaze.

President Joe Biden will hold a briefing later this afternoon to discuss the 'full federal response' he has ordered for the Los Angeles wildfires.

The meeting will take place with Senior White House and Administration officials at 4.30pm ET, after former president Jimmy Carter's memorial service.

It comes after Biden cancelled a trip to Rome and the Vatican amid the ongoing disaster.

The trip was to be is last foreign excursion while in office.

The briefing is slated to take place in the White House's Roosevelt Room.

The LA Lakers have postponed their match against the Charlotte Hornets in solidarity with the wildfire recovery efforts.

The team said it has been left 'heartbroken' by the apocalyptic scenes.

'Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this unimaginable situation,' a statement read.

They expressed gratitude for the first responders, but explained the decision had been taken to 'focus on what matters most'.

Fans with tickets for the game are being urged to hang onto them as they will be honored at a later date.

'We're with you LA,' the team added in the statement.

The Lakers had been due to face off against the Hornets at at Crypto.com Arena this evening.

The Los Angeles County wildfires have caused almost $50 billion of economic losses, according to JPMorgan Chase.

The figure has doubled in the last 24 hours as the blazes continue to rage.

Insured losses could exceed $20 billion according to the report obtained by CNN, but that figure could rise as the full toll of the destruction is discovered.

Around 2,000 buildings are thought to have been flattened by the flames, with most of the damage in the pricey Pacific Palisades neighborhood.

The losses could be more than double the $10 billion the insurance industry had to pay out in the 2018 Butte County Camp fire, the most expensive on record.

The figures tally with prevoius estimates from Accuweather which suggested the cost of the wildfires could be up to $57 billion.

Around 212,000 people in Los Angeles County are still without power on Thursday following the devastating wildfires.

A map from PowerOutageUS shows that as of 12:47pm ET there were 212,319 residents dealing with blackouts.

Neighboring counties were also reporting shut-offs, with more than 419,000 people without power across the Golden State.

The LA Department of Water and Power has also issued a Boil Water Notice for customers in the hard-hit Pacific Palisades neighborhood and the adjacent communities north of San Vicente Blvd.

Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has admitted the Palisades Fire may have been started deliberately.

Chief Crowley told a press conference Thursday that 16 arson investigators had been deployed to probe the blaze that razed the upmarket Pacific Palisades.

A specialist dog that can pick up the scent of accelerant is also on the case, CNN reported.

The Palisades and Eaton Fires were the two most ferocious fires of the five blazes that have erupted in Los Angeles since Tuesday night.

At least five have been killed, with LA Sheriff Robert Luna conceding that the death toll may rise far higher.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has hit back at claims that fire hydrants in the city were not full, but admitted that they are not cut out to deal with the scale of the devastation caused by the wildfires.

Bass was forced to address criticism leveled at her by consituents amid reports that fire hydrants were running dry.

'We all know that this has been an unprecedented event,' Bass said. 'We also know that fire hydrants are not constructed to deal with this type of massive devastation.'

She has since vowed to deliver an evaluation of the city's response to the fires.

Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna warned that the current death toll from the deadly blazes in southern California could rise further.

At least five people have officially been confirmed as victims of the wildfires so far.

But Luna cautioned that this total is likely to be inaccurate.

The county Sheriff’s Department is now working with the county medical examiner’s office to 'figure out these numbers', Luna said.

'This is a crisis, and we don’t know what to expect. Be patient with us when you ask us about death toll numbers. … Right now, frankly, we don’t know yet. We eventually will.

'I hope I’m wrong, but I think it’s going to rise.'

Among the confirmed victims was Victor Shaw, 66, who died while clutching a fire hose as the flames from the Eaton Fire closed in.

Affluent Los Angeles natives have begun hiring private security teams to stop looters targeting their homes amid the chaos of the California wildfires.

At least 20 people have been arrested on suspicion of looting and similar crimes, according to officials after tens of thousands of people were ordered to flee their homes.

Some residents in the ritzy Pacific Palisades have now taken to hiring security guards to protect their assets.

Arturo Garcia told the Los Angeles Times that he has 'a bunch' of clients in the area and has already chased away two would-be thieves.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis will donate $1 million to help with the relief efforts for the Los Angeles wildfires.

The Halloween star took to Instagram to announce her generous donation and said she is in contact with Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Karen Bass and Senator Adam Schiff.

'My husband and I and our children have pledged $1 million from our Family Foundation to start a fund of support for our great city and state and the great people who live and love there,' Curtis, 66, wrote.

Curtis lives in the ritzy Pacific Palisades area which has gone up in smoke following the outbreak of the fires.

She was consoled about the devastation after she became emotional during a Wednesday night appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The actress revealed that her friends' homes, her local market and many schools had been destroyed in the blaze.

A heroic firefighter has managed save a horse from the flames of the California wildfires.

Garrett Mora didn't think twice before hopping a fence and running head first toward the danger.

NBC News' Gadi Schwartz was on the ground with Mora close to the blaze when they came across the frightened animal.

Mora climbed over and managed to get the horse into a pen where it was safe from the path of oncoming fire trucks.

The city of Santa Monica has imposed a strict curfew in a bid to prevent looting being carried out amid the chaos of the wildfires.

The directive sets out restrictions from sunrise to sunset in areas under evacuation orders.

City manager David White signed the order late Wednesday, affecting almost 2,500 homes.

'The local emergency order provides Santa Monica Police and our mutual aid partners another tool to continue to protect our community,' White said.

'Our first responders are out patrolling, staying vigilant and coordinating with our partners throughout this emergency on all fronts.

'The order helps us ensure nobody enters impacted areas who is not supposed to, particularly those with nefarious intentions attempting to take advantage of the mandatory evacuations.'

So far least 20 people have been arrested for looting or similar crimes, Kathryn Barger, chair of Los Angeles county’s Board of Supervisors said.

'Shame on those who are preying on our residents during this time of crisis,' she added.

Sunrise images taken in Los Angeles show how the City of Angels has been rendered an eerie hellscape after out-of-control wildfires blazed through the night.

The devastation was especially visible in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, where the ongoing fire is thought to be the most destructive in LA's history.

Air quality also remains impacted by the smoke, which cast a haze over the city as many were getting going for the day.

A perfect storm of overgrown vegetation, dry conditions and uncharacteristic winds are responsible for whipping up the most devastating wildfire Los Angeles has ever seen.

Officials believe the blaze began as a tiny spark as part of an accidental backyard fire.

But the tinderbox conditions meant it was just a matter of hours before the blaze had ballooned out of control.

Firefighers from several states have now been drafted in to help battle the flames, which show no signs of abating.

Robert F Kennedy Jr. revaled that his Brentwood home is yet to be affected by the wildfires rampaging through Los Angeles.

'So far it's still standing,' he told reporters at the Capitol.

Kennedy, who is president-elect Donald Trump's top pick for Health Secretary, lives in a $6.6 million mansion with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines.

The couple count the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dr. Dre among their neighbors.

The devastation from the Los Angeles wildfires has already cost the city up to $57 billion, according to Accuweather.

The forecaster estimates that $52 billion to $57 billion in preliminary damage and economic loss has occurred from the blazes.

It comes as officials confirmed that 2,000 structures have now been destroyed - double previous estimates.

Many of the homes razed to the ground were located in the Pacific Palisades, a celebrity enclave where the average cost of a dwelling is an eye-watering $3.4 million.

Hundreds of businesses and public buildings have also been leveld.

The fire destroyed the public library, two major grocery stores, a pair of banks and several boutiques in Palisades Village alone.

The NBA said it is keeping an eye on the wildfires before it makes a call on a scheduled match up between the LA Lakers and Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.

The NFL's Los Angeles Chargers have also adjusted their training schedule to limit the amount of time players spend outside amid concerns over the air quality.

It comes after Wednesday night's NHL games between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames was postponed indefinitely.

Los Angeles Clippers' Kawhi Leonard also missed Wednesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets after his family was forced to evacuate.

Evacuation orders for the West Hollywood Hills area were lifted at 7:30 a.m. (10:30 a.m. ET).

'At 7:30AM, the closed section of the Sunset Fire, area North of Franklin, will be OPEN and all evacuation orders LIFTED,' The Los Angeles City Fire Department said.

'We will still have LAFD companies working in the area and ask you to be careful while returning to your homes.'

More gusty winds have been forecast for the Los Angeles area, dashing earlier hopes that the blaze might be controlled.

'Extreme fire behavior, including short and long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire,' CalFire said in an update.

'Winds gusts up to 60 MPH are expected to continue through Thursday, potentially aiding in further fire activity and suppression efforts.'

More than 800 firefighters are still battling the blaze, but aerial resources are being hampered by the gale force winds.

As of Thursday morning, the fire have ravaged through 17,234 and was still not contained.

While the winds were less compared to Wednesdaym the National Weather Service warned that even the reduced gusts could still spread fire rapidly.

Unusual Santa Ana winds blew embers up to three miles beyond the boundary of established fires, experts said.

While the seasonal gusts are typical at this time of year, their erratic direction was not anticipated and resulted in 'extreme' fire behavior.

Normally, under a sustained Santa Ana condition, we have fires that are long and narrow,' said Anthony Marrone, Los Angeles County Fire Chief told the Sun Herald.

'However, with these erratic winds and this PDS, or particularly dangerous situation, the winds were constantly changing.'

This meant that while the blazes followed the traditionall path towards the sea, they also expanded laterally.

Embers were then blown into homes, burning them from the inside out in many cases which is why some were completely destroyed, while neighbors' properties survived.

Stanford professor Andrew Huberman has claimed people are lighting fires in urban areas of Los Angeles which had otherwise not been affected by the devastating wildfires.

The podcaster, 49, said he had to call the police after filming arsonists at work in Santa Monica, near Crescent Bay Park.

Huberman, who has 5.2 million subscribers to his health podcast Huberman Lab, took to social media platform X to share the footage, urging people to 'call in any activity'.

He wrote: 'People are lighting fires in otherwise non-burning urban areas of LA.

'Saw this happen first hand in Santa Monica. Called it in & fire dept & police responded.

'Stay safe and call in any activity ASAP. We don’t need more flames out here.'

It comes after officials stated that an accidental fire in a back garden is what sparked the inferno still engulfing the city.

As the wildfires continue to rage, even the Hollywood elites have been unable to escape the fury.

Several celebrities are among those picking up the pieces after their ritzy mansions were razed to the ground.

The homes of Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman and Miles Teller are among those destroyed, while dozens of other stars now face an anxious wait alongside their neighbors to learn if anything could be saved.

Many of the properties were located in the Pacific Palisades region of Los Angeles, an exclusive enclave well known for its starry residents.

More than a dozen Los Angeles school districts have announced they will remain shuttered on Thursday as the wildfires continue to burn.

This includes the county's largest, the Los Angeles Unified School District, which provides services to around 600,000 students.

Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said his students can pick up grab and go meals between 8 and 10am at various schools in the district.

The following districts have also announced they will remain fully or partially closed at least for Thursday:

Alhambra Unified, Arcadia Unified, Bonita Unified School District, Burbank Unified, Duarte Unified, Garvey School District, Glendale Unified, Glendora Unified, La Cañada Unified, Las Virgenes Unified, Pasadena Unified, San Gabriel Unified, San Marino Unified, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified, South Pasadena Unified and Temple City Unified.

One of the Golden State's largest insurance companies axed fire coverage for thsouands of Pacific Palisades homeowners last year in a bid to avoid 'financial failure'.

State Farm Insurance said it would no longer accept new homeowners insurance applications in California due to the threat of wildfires.

It also decided to end coverage for 72,000 homes across the state.

It comes as a number of private insurers have been scaling back coverage in at-risk areas.

The move has seen the number of policies offered by California's FAIR plan, an insurer of last resort, more than double between 2020 and 2024.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass suffered a second toe-curling gaffe shortly after arriving back in her fire-ravaged city from a trip to Ghana.

Speaking in a staccato voice, the 71 year-old Democrat appeared bewildered by her own notes at a press conference Wednesday, saying: 'Emergency information, resources and shelter is available. All of this can be found at URL.'

She and other LA officials have been slammed by residents for failing to properly prepare the city ahead of the disaster.

Satellite images show how the wildfires raging in southern California are visible from space.

The pictures were taken by NASA's Earth Observatory on Wednesday and issued this morning.

They show vast plumes of smoke hanging above the affected areas where buildings have been levels and tens of thousands have been forced to flee their homes.

Reduced winds on Thursday may help firefighters 'start to build some containment' on the wildfires blazing across Los Angeles.

Emergency responders have so far struggled to get the flames under control due to hurricane force winds of up to 80mph which blew embers through the air, 'faster than we could get engine crews there to meet them', according to officials.

'I believe if it stays like this we can actually turn a corner on these fires and make some progress today, some good progress. In case they pick up again later tonight we'll have something to anchor into,' Brent Pascua, battalion chief with Cal Fire, told NBC's 'TODAY' show.

The iconic Will Rogers ranch has been destoryed in the fire that is ripping through the celebrity-filled Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.

Hollywood actor Will Rogers built the 31-room home with 11 bathrooms, a guesthouse, a golf course, stables, and a corral on about 360 acres in the 1920s.

His widow Better donated it and the expansive grounds to the city and it became a park and museum, the Will Rogers State Historic Park.

Now the impressive mansion beloved by tourists and locals is smoldering rubble.

'The Rogers family is devastated by the loss of the California ranch and the overwhelming loss of the community,' Jennifer Rogers-Etcheverry, the actor’s great-granddaughter, said in a statement.

'Our hearts go out to all those neighbors who have lost their homes.'

Other LA icons are under threat or have been damaged or destroyed.

The Topanga Ranch Motel, a row of rustic beachside cabins built in 1919 and once owned by William Randolph Hearst, was burned down.

The motel was to undergo a major refurbishment after years of neglect.

'California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area,' State Parks Director Armando Quintero said.

Beloved Theatre Palisades appeared to also be largely destroyed while the open-air Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is playing a 'waiting game'.

The Getty Villa, a historic mansion and grounds built by J Paul Getty and home to priceless Greek, Roman, and other ancient artifacts, is safe so far.

Worrying footage showed the fire right outside the gates and climbing up the hillside, but the Villa said though some vegetation burned, the site was safe.

The organization prepared for fire season by clearing brush from around the grounds and it has a state-of-the-art fire suppression system to keep approaches wet to resist the flames.

The collections are secured by thick walls and protected from smoke by tight seals.

Pacific Palisades, the celebrity haven neighborhood worst hit by the Los Angeles fires, has spent more than 24 hours without water to fight the flaze.

Firefighters reported that water tanks were dry about 3am on Wednesday, diminishing the water avialble in hydrants, and residents desperately battling to save their homes couldn't get a consistent flow out of their garden hoses.

'We had a tremendous demand on our system in the Palisades. We pushed the system to the extreme,' Janisse Quiñones, chief executive and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, said.

'Four times the normal demand was seen for 15 hours straight, which lowered our water pressure.'

Quiñones said Pacific Palisades was relied on three huge water tanks of about a million gallons each. The first ran dry at 4.45pm on Tuesday, the second at 8.30pm.; and the third was dry at 3am on Wednesday.

Hydrants are designed for fighting fires at one or two houses at a time, not hundreds, Quiñones said, and refilling the tanks also requires asking fire departments to pause firefighting efforts.

But Rick Caruso, a real estate developer and former Los Angeles Department of Water and Power commissioner who lost to Bass in the last mayoral race, said officials needed to answer for the system’s failures.

'You got thousands of homes destroyed, families destroyed, businesses destroyed,' he said.

'I think you can figure out a way to get more water in the hydrants. I don’t think there’s room for excuses here.'

LA City Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, also lashed out.

'The chronic under-investment in the city of Los Angeles in our public infrastructure and our public safety partners was evident and on full display over the last 24 hours,' she said.

'I am extremely concerned about this. I’m already working with my team to take a closer look at this, and I think we’ve got more questions than answers at this point.'

Heidi Montag said she only has 'two pairs of jeans and two shirts' left after she and husband Spencer Pratt were forced to flee their Pacific Palisades home due to the devastating LA wildfires.

The couple evacuated their home with their two sons earlier this week after huge fires began to spread through the exclusive celebrity enclave, and images have since shown that their property has been des

troyed.

In a new video posted on her Instagram Stories, Heidi admitted she was 'overwhelmed' while she attempted to grab some basic essentials for her family after being ordered to evacuate.

Fighting back tears, she added that anything she was able to grab was 'a blessing,' and while she's 'thankful' that her family are safe from the fire, she's still struggling to come to terms with the loss of her home.

Victor Shaw, 66, was found still clutching a garden hose after he died desperately trying to save his home of 55 years.

He was found by a neighbor after the Eaton fire, one of four still burning acorss Los Angeles, ripped through his neighborhood.

His sister Shari Shaw tried to get him to evacuate, but had to leave him behind when he refused to come with her and she fled just as the blaze engulfed their home.

Al Tanner found Victor's charred body the next day lying on the road next to his home.

'I fell to the ground, and I didn’t know – I didn’t want to look at him. They just told me that he was lying on the ground and that he looked serene, as if he was at peace,' Shari told KTLA.

Victor is the first of five confirmed deaths in the fire to be identified.

The water system used to fight the Palisades fire in Los Angeles buckled under the demands of what turned out to be the most destructive fire in city history, with some hydrants running dry as they were overstressed without assistance from firefighting aircraft for hours.

Developer Rick Caruso, who owns Palisades Village mall and is a former LA Department of Water and Power commissioner, railed against the city for the lack of water, as did local councilmember Traci Park.

Fire crews and evacuees dealing with the raging Sunset Fire have been slowed down by the roads in Hollywood.

Traffic jams of evacuees, fire trucks and police vehicles were widespread.

The roads that snake through the Hollywood Hills are notoriously difficult to navigate.

Many residential streets have many bends, no pavements and not much space for two-way traffic.

Some Los Angeles restaurants are offering free meals to first responders and residents forced to evacuate.

'As so many have been displaced by the fires, if you find yourself displaced and in need of a meal, please join us, compliments,' Bar Etoile, a restaurant in LA's East Hollywood neighbourhood, posted on Instagram.

Earlier, Trump claimed in a bizarre rant that officials were refraining from using ocean water to put out fires to 'protect a tiny little fish' amid fears of water shortages in California.

The SoCal governor hit back, saying 'Broadly speaking, there is no water shortage in Southern California right now, despite Trump’s claims that he would open some imaginary spigot.'

Now, Trump has called for the governor to resign, claiming the wildfires - which were exacerbated by low humidity, dry vegetation and high winds - are 'his fault'.

He posted on Truth:

One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!

Rebel Wilson has revealed that her beloved cat had to be rescued from her LA home as the city is engulfed in devastating wildfires.

The Australian actress, 44, lives with her wife Ramona Agruma and daughter Royce, 2, in the Hollywood Hills.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the Pitch Perfect star revealed that her home had been impacted by the horrific fires.

Rebel shared a frightening image, taken by her friend Ornela, that showed the West Hollywood skyline engulfed in flames.

While it's unclear how badly Rebel's home has been impacted by the fires, she did reveal that her cat required rescuing from the encroaching flames.

'Can not believe this,' Rebel captioned the terrifying image.

• Read in full below:

The White House announced that Joe Biden had cancelled Thursday’s planned visit to Italy to focus on directing the federal response to the fires.

This was the final overseas trip of his presidency.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump claimed in a bizarre rant that officials were refraining from using ocean water to put out fires to 'protect a tiny little fish' amid fears of water shortages in California.

The SoCal governor hit back:

Broadly speaking, there is no water shortage in Southern California right now, despite Trump’s claims that he would open some imaginary spigot.

The devastation wrought by the hellish wildfires tearing through Los Angeles has been laid bare by a series of horrifying before and after images that emerged this morning.

A slew of notable locations, including Sunset Boulevard that splits the upscale Pacific Palisades, were engulfed in punishing flames that tore through residential and commercial areas alike and reduced buildings to burnt-out husks.

Banks, restaurants, gas stations and homes were left in smouldering ruins along the iconic boulevard, where bulldozers were forced to remove abandoned luxury motors, forging a path for emergency services and firefighters.

The latest fires mean huge swathes of iconic southern California real estate from Malibu to Santa Monica, and from Pacific Palisades to Runyon Canyon, are ablaze - impacting millions caught off guard by the unprecedented spread and carnage.

As of Thursday morning, the largest inferno has consumed nearly 12,000 acres (4,856 hectares) in the picturesque Pacific Palisades neighborhood that is home to many film, television and music stars.

• See the full story on MailOnline:

Fake photos and videos showing the Hollywood sign on fire were shared widely on social media.

But these are edited and some are said to be AI-generated.

At the time of writing, the sign is unharmed.

Apocalyptic scenes of 120ft flames engulfing multi-million dollar homes stunned the world yesterday as wildfires tore through one of Hollywood's most exclusive enclaves.

Stars such as Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Star Wars’ Mark Hamill, American actor James Woods and Formula 1 heiress Petra Ecclestone were forced to flee as rampaging wildfires ripped through Pacific Palisades, burning everything in their path.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck were seen returning to their properties, with one neighbour telling the Mail he saw Affleck wielding a garden hose to soak the deck at the back of his ex-wife Jennifer Garner’s mansion.

• Caroline Graham writes:

More than 1,500 California firefighters are tasked with quelling the wind-whipped wildfires, while the California National Guard prepares to deploy more military personnel to assist.

Already, 600 service members have arrived from the Cal Guard along with equipment to help local authorities. They brought 10 rotary wing aircrafts and two C-130 planes to help fight the fires.

K-9s which specialize in human-remains detection will be brought in once the fires are under control to ensure there are no other dead bodies in the wreckage of the fires, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said on Wednesday evening.

A perfect storm of overgrown vegetation, dry conditions and uncharacteristic winds are responsible for whipping up the most devastating wildfire Los Angeles has ever seen with more than 20 square miles razed to the ground in less than 48 hours.

The stunning time-lapse, stitched together from various live webcams, showed how a small plume of grey smoke began rising in a 'back garden' on the city's outskirts on Tuesday morning.

At first the smoke seemed innocuous but within minutes the plume had developed into a thick cloud as the flames began tearing through bone-dry shrubbery. Before long, the City of Angels was ablaze.

Now, less than 48 hours on from the initial spark, the wildfire is on track to be the most destructive blaze ever 'unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime,' LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.

She believes the fire started accidentally in a back garden around 10am Tuesday morning before 'spreading at a speed beyond anything we've seen'.

• Read more on MailOnline:

One of the people killed in fires died trying to protect his home from the flames, his sister said on Wednesday.

Victor Shaw ignored firefighters’ pleas to flee as fire began tearing through the Altadena area, Shari Shaw told local broadcaster KTLA.

The 66-year-old, who lived with his sister and had serious health issues, told her he wanted to stay behind and fight the flames as she made the decision to leave their family home.

Al Tanner, a friend of Shaw’s, later found his body in the driveway of the burned property.

It looked like he was trying to save the home that his parents had had for almost 55 years

The US National Weather Service has issued an updated forecast, saying there is a "critical risk of fire weather"  over parts of southern California throughout today.

Strong high pressure over parts of the Northern Intermountain Region and Great Basin will set up Santa Ana winds over southern California

Patsy Palmer has shared her heartbreak as devastating wildfires sweep across her 'hometown' of Los Angeles - as fellow Brits Alice Evans and Brooklyn Beckham are also impacted by the terrifying incident.

The actress, 52, moved to Malibu in 2014 along with husband Richard and her children and returns frequently to the UK to film EastEnders.

She told in a post on Thursday alongside a picture of the fires that her 'brain was fried' and lots of her friends in the area she lives in had lost their homes.

Patsy had returned to the UK last Saturday before the fires broke out and said it was hard being so far away as the fires rage.

Patsy wrote: 'My heart is broken. My brain is fried today looking at the devastating scenes of the fires AGAIN in my hometown. I just returned home to my home in case after the fires a couple of weeks ago and left on Saturday back to work in the UK and now this.

'My family are safe but lots of my friends have lost their homes again which is extremely traumatic.'

• Read in full here:

Several landmarks and buildings have already been destroyed by the fires.

The iconic Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles has been left 'in ruins'

Theatre Palisades, a community theatre founded in 1963 by a trio of television writers, sustained 'serious damage'

The grounds of the art museum Getty Villa, an art museum have also burnt, though it's believed the art has remained undamaged

The Altadena Golf Course, which dates back to 1910, sustained serious damage

The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center buildings lost to the fire

Two popular state parks, the Will Rogers State Park and Topanga State Park, have also been severely burned

Blake Lively returned to Instagram on Wednesday for the first time since filing two lawsuits against Justin Baldoni.

The Gossip Girl star, 37, shared two Stories with some helpful resources for those affected by the devastating fires raging throughout Los Angeles since Tuesday.

The first was a Google document with links to shelters and animal boarding resources, compiled by @mutualaidla. 'To everyone affected by the Los Angeles fires...' Blake wrote on the document.

The second slide showed more of the document, with Blake adding, 'MALAN is regularly updating this Google sheet with mutual aid resources for folks in LA. There's info on shelters, free PPE, food, animal rescues, and more. If you have additional resources, please share them with @mutualaidla.'

• Read more here:

Daniel Swain, climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, told CNN the Palisades Fire is expected to be the costliest wildfire in history.

The fire has already destroyed at least 1,000 structures and is already the most destructive to ever occur in Los Angeles County, according to data from CalFire.

It is plausible that the Palisades Fire, in particular, will become the costliest on record period, not just in California, but in general. We’ve likely checked that box this time. I’m hoping we don’t check other boxes as well.

At least five people have been killed and officials expect the death toll to rise as fast-moving fires continue to blaze across Los Angeles County, mostly uncontained.

Polluted air and unsafe water pose a threat in several areas.

Extreme weather ignited fires throughout Southern California, as strong winds and low humidity worsened the conditions.

The wind and fast-moving embers were the biggest factors that caused the fire to spread so quickly, according to Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin.

The Los Angeles Fire Department announced that most of the evacuation zone for areas impacted by the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills has been lifted.

Officials have maintained restrictions on a small section of the community, specifically the region north of Franklin Avenue, stretching from Camino Palmero Street to N. Sierra Bonita Avenue, the fire department said in a statement.

The zone originally included several of Los Angeles’ most iconic landmarks.

Fire activity in Hollywood has significantly decreased, with the blaze now contained to 60 to 100 acres within a secured perimeter set by the LAFD.

Authorities are urging residents to exercise caution upon returning to their homes.

• Paris Hilton says she saw her 'home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV' as LA wildfires rage on
• Los Angeles running out of water as Pacific Palisades wildfire forces 30,000 from Malibu to Calabasas to evacuate
• James Woods rips LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley for focusing on DEI instead of 'filling the reservoirs'
• Emmanuel Acho shares horrifying clip of burning Hollywood Hills as Fox Sports host flees Los Angeles fires
• Songwriter Diane Warren's beach house decimated by LA fires as blaze burns through California
• Yolanda Hadid's iconic RHOBH Malibu mansion destroyed by raging LA fires

Palisades Fire

Eaton Fire

Hurst Fire

Sunset Fire

Bella Hadid, Khloe Kardashian and Ariana Grande were among the stars who shared their shocked reactions to the devastating fires raging in Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, Hadid, 28, who grew up in Malibu, took to Instagram sharing a photo of the city burning, writing, 'Praying for our beautiful Malibu and all of the families, homes, and businesses affected. This is a nightmare turned reality.'

Khloe, 40, also shared a photo of the devastation, writing, 'I cannot believe this is the Pacific Palisades. This is so incredibly heart wrenching. My heart is aching for all of Los Angeles.'

Wicked star Ariana, 31, wrote 'My heart is with everyone impacted by the devastating LA fires. Sharing some organizations to support who are responding to those affected in realtime: @lafdfoundation @calfund @mutualaidla.'

John Legend's wife, Chrissy Teigen, 39, shared a photo of herself in her walk-in closet with a black suitcase at her feet.

Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend, Vittoria Ceretti, 26, wrote: 'I love you LA. I'm so sorry this is happening.'

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood stone-faced and refused to answer a reporter's question for two full minutes after being out of the country while killer wildfires raged through her city.

Furious Los Angelinos blasted their mayor for traveling to Ghana while the city burns, despite having ample warning about 'critical' weather conditions in the days before.

Bass flew out to attend the West African country's presidential inauguration on Tuesday, after meteorologists warned that a 'recipe for fire' was on track to strike LA.

The mayor was there to attend the inauguration of the new president and meet with the country's first-ever female vice president.

She was cornered by journalist David Blevins from Sky News at the airport upon her return with an assistant, who both refused to answer his questions.

Bass immediately indicated that she's not going to answer his questions and turned away.

Blevins then asked her a series of questions that she did not respond to.

• Read the story in full here:

An unearthed clip of Joe Rogan making a chilling prediction about how ferocious wildfires in Los Angeles have the potential to get out of hand has gone viral online.

This week, at least five people have lost their lives in the devastating natural disaster - with 2,000 structures completely obliterated and thousands of people left with nothing but ash across the City of Angels.

Comedian Rogan was speaking to fellow comic Sam Morill on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience that aired on July 19, 2024, when he mentioned wildfires in California.

At one point, Morill pointed out the t-shirt Rogan was wearing representing the Los Angeles Fire Department, noting it was a 'bada**' job.

Rogan then recounted the stunning conversation he'd had with a firefighter about how wildfires could get shockingly out of hand.

He said: 'One day, it's just gonna be the right wind and fire's gonna start in the right place and it's gonna burn through LA all the way to the ocean and there's not a f***ing thing we can do about it.'

Rogan incredulously asked if it was really true and the unnamed firefighter affirmed, saying that previous times they've 'just get lucky with the wind.'

'If the wind hits the wrong way, it's just going to burn through LA and there's not a thing we can do about it,' talking about how the winds can blow the embers through the dry Los Angeles climate.'

• Watch the clip here:

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman warned that those preying on fire victims will be prosecuted to 'the fullest extent of the law'.

Two people have been arrested for looting, according to the Los Angeles County’s Sheriff Robert Luna.

CNN reported a local fleeing the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills as saying the situation is chaotic, with vehicles speeding away and helicopters dumping water on the flames.

Traffic is jammed to fire trucks and police vehicles as well as people trying to leave

Palisades Fire: At least 15,832 acres and 0 per cent contained

Eaton Fire: At least 10,600 acres and 0 per cent contained

Hurst Fire: At least 855 acres and 10 per cent contained

Lidia Fire: At least 348 acres and 40 per cent contained

Sunset Fire: At least 60 acres and 0 per cent contained

The city Pasadena issued an urgent alert concerning unsafe drinking water in areas impacted by recent evacuations due to the Eaton Fire.

The water and power system could be compromised by “debris and elevated turbidity”.

Officials told residents not to drink tap water, according to a statement from the city.

Locals should only drink bottled water - also for food preparation, brushing teeth and pet care.

Attempts to treat the water - whether through boiling, filtering, or adding disinfectants is ineffective and unsafe.

A wildfire erupted in the Hollywood Hills, California, putting the iconic Hollywood sign at risk.

Footage posted on X showed flames racing toward Hollywood Boulevard.

• John Goodman
• Anthony Hopkins
• Miles and Keleigh Teller
• Eugene Levy
• Billy Crystal
• Adam Brody and Leighton Meester
• Anna Faris
• Paris Hilton
• Sandra Lee
• Ricki Lake
• Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag
• Matthew Perry's former home
• James Woods
• Mark Hamill
• Ben Affleck
• Cameron Mathison
• Cobie Smulders
• Jamie Lee Curtis
• Maria Shriver

Hollywood's biggest celebrities are picking up the pieces after discovering their affluent neighbourhood was reduced to ash and rubble when the California wildfires tore through the Pacific Palisades.

The death toll of the historic infernos have now reached five, as heroic firefighters still battle hellish conditions on the front lines of at least five different fires.

The homes of Anthony Hopkins, John Goodman and Miles Teller are among those destroyed, while dozens of other stars now face an anxious wait alongside their neighbours to learn if anything could be saved.

Apocalyptic fires tore through the ritzy enclave of Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, rapidly spreading to surrounding suburbs as a windstorm carried embers and debris in all directions.

Residents fled and then waited with bated breath to learn more about their homes, as news began trickling out that entire streets were wiped off the map, firefighters were running out of water, and resources were being diverted to fight the fire on multiple fronts.

Now, the widespread devastation is becoming clearer as celebrities share their devastation upon discovering they've lost their million-dollar mansions.

• Read the full story here

These photographs illustrate the extensive damage caused by the wildfires which have destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and cars so far across Los Angeles.

Fire ravaged businesses are left smouldering after the Palisades blaze

Fire-damaged vehicles are lined up at a dealership after the Eaton Fire

A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire around a burned building

A man walks past one buisness left destroyed by the Eaton Fire

Drone footage captured the devastation in Altadena near Pasadena

Hollywood Boulevard has been evacuated with 100,000 people told to flee with six wildfires raging as the apocalyptic skies of Los Angeles continue to fill with smoke.

Two new blazes broke out overnight in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City - forcing first responders to redeploy their already-scarce resources to the burnt landscape.

The LA Fire Department issued an evacuation order for people in an area within Hollywood Boulevard to the south, Mulholland Drive to the north, the 101 Freeway to the east and Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west - all iconic addresses in showbiz.

The latest fires mean huge swathes of iconic southern California real estate from Malibu to Santa Monica, and from Pacific Palisades to Runyon Canyon, are ablaze - impacting millions caught off guard by the unprecedented spread and carnage.

At least five people have lost their lives in the disaster so far - with 2,000 structures obliterated and thousands of people left with nothing but ash across the city.

• Read the full story by Dailymail.com reporter Brittany Chain here

Hello and welcome to MailOnline's live coverage of the California fires as blazes continue to rage and spread across Los Angeles.

Residents and businesses have likened the apocalyptic scenes to 'Armageddon' as blazes broke out in Southern California for a second consecutive day with 100mph winds whipping up the flames.

At least five people have been killed and more than 130,000 forced to leave their homes in what has become the most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles County.

Many celebrities have seen their multi-million dollar mansions razed to the ground as the fire spread to Hollywood Hills as desperate firefighters take water from ponds and swimming pools to tackle the wildfires.

Stick with us throughout the day as we bring you the latest updates from this developing story plus the most striking pictures and videos from California.