One of the blazes has burnt down over an areas of almost 20,000 acres of Palisades neighborhood.
Smoke rising above ruins, ash in the air, a burning smell and not enough firefighters - these scenes continue to be witnessed in Los Angeles as the number of lives claimed by massive wildfires climbed to 10.
Whole neighbourhoods were burnt down and over 1.4 lakh people were evacuated as at least four to five fires burnt uncontained in the high-profile Palisades, Pasadena and Malibu areas, among others.
The biggest of the blazes has burnt down over an areas of almost 20,000 acres of Palisades neighborhood, while another fire around Altadena torched 13,700 acres. Firefighters said six percent of the Pacific Palisades blaze's perimeter was contained. The Kenneth Fire, near Calabasas and the wealthy Hidden Hills enclave, home to celebrities like Kim Kardashian, exploded to almost 1,000 acres within hours.
A drop in wind speeds allowed helicopters to drop water and fire retardants over the areas on fire, but new fires continued to spring up. Aircraft, including Boeing Chinook helitankers fitted with 3,000-gallon tanks, have been brought in from as far as Canada. However, fears of fires reigniting persist as windy conditions are expected in the coming days.
The "apocalyptic" wildfires are likely to result in losses to the tune of $60 billion, making them the most expensive natural disaster in American history.
Schools were closed, neighbourhoods were plunged into darkness as people returned to survey what remained of their lavish estates. Looting has broken out, with a curfew planned for affected areas, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said, while the state's National Guard were set to spring into action. He said his officers were patrolling evacuation zones and would arrest anyone who was not supposed to be there.
Meteorologists warn that "critical" windy and dry conditions, though abated, are not over. A National Weather Service bulletin said "significant fire growth" remained likely "with ongoing or new fires" into Friday.
The fire, which has been raging since Tuesday amid wind speeds of 100 miles per hour, caught the city unawares. Wildfires are part of life in the western United States and play a vital role in nature. But scientists say human-caused climate change is causing more severe weather patterns. Southern California had two decades of drought that were followed by two exceptionally wet years, sparking furious vegetative growth. That has left the region, which has had no significant rain for eight months, packed with fuel and primed to burn.
