As a result of wildfires in the Los Angeles area, at least five people have died, according to LA County Sheriff Robert Luna. As of the late evening of January 8, at least six wildfires are raging around the California metropolis, including the largest blaze in Pacific Palisades.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that this single wildfire alone has burned an area of 15,800 acres (approximately 64 square kilometers). This fire, which has destroyed hundreds of multi-million-dollar homes, is likely to become one of the costliest in history. AccuWeather has estimated preliminary damages at $57 billion.

One of the fires broke out in Hollywood, in the northwest part of the United States’ second-largest city, with flames coming within a few hundred meters of the famous Hollywood Boulevard. Another major fire, covering about 10,600 acres (approximately 43 square kilometers), is located near Altadena, north of Los Angeles.

Sheriff Luna announced at a press conference that over 130,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. The flames have destroyed up to 1,500 structures. According to Poweroutage.us, more than 300,000 households in the region are without electricity.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone stated that his teams are doing everything possible to combat the massive and rapidly spreading fires. "But we don’t have enough firefighters in Los Angeles County, across all departments, to handle this," he said.

President Joe Biden has declared the California wildfire region a disaster area to enable federal assistance for those affected. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh announced that additional resources and equipment will be sent to California to aid in firefighting efforts. She noted that current weather conditions, including strong winds, are complicating efforts to extinguish the flames from the air.