Mid-winter wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least five people and forced more than 100,000 others to evacuate their homes across the U.S. state of California.
Roughly 27,000 acres have burned across southern parts of California, primarily around the city of Los Angeles.
Authorities say it’s the most destructive wildfire in LA’s history, intensified by drought and powerful winter winds.
Fire update
The largest blazes are concentrated in north-eastern LA around Pasadena, and along the beachfront suburbs near Malibu in the west.
More than 1,000 buildings have burned to the ground.
Five people have been killed in the fires. Details of the deaths are currently unknown.
Authorities say more than 100,000 people have had to evacuate their homes.
Drought
LA Mayor Karen Bass said the major fires have been caused by “hurricane-force winds… combined with extremely dry drought conditions”.
Nearly a third of California is experiencing drought due to a lack of rainfall in the past year.
Central and southern California are classed as either “abnormally dry” or in moderate to severe drought.
Santa Ana winds
In cooler months, warm, destructive winds nicknamed the ‘Santa Anas’ blow through LA and surrounds from the desert in the east.
The Santa Anas cause vegetation to dry out and increase the risk of fires.
They are currently blowing through LA, with wind gusts peaking at more than 120 km/h in recent days.
Emergency
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.
Firefighters have been sent in from the neighbouring states of Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.
Authorities have warned low water supplies are affecting firefighters’ abilities to control some of the blazes.
President Joe Biden has visited the state and approved a ‘Major Disaster’ declaration, allowing federal funding for affected areas.
