LA fires: What's happening in Los Angeles, and what caused the wildfires?

Wildfires are raging in the Los Angeles area, causing a house in Studio City to collapse in an instant. The out-of-control wildfires have already resulted in at least five deaths, burned hundreds of buildings, and forced over 130,000 people to flee their homes. Firefighters are working tirelessly to put out the fires, but the largest blazes remain completely out of control. Weather conditions and the potential impacts of climate change are expected to continue fueling the fires in the coming days.

Over 137,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, many escaping with only the belongings they could carry. Police have stated that at least five people have died, their bodies discovered near the Eaton Fire, but the cause of death is still unclear. Like the larger Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire remains completely out of control. Meanwhile, the Sunset Fire, threatening the Hollywood Hills, has begun to shrink but is not yet contained. Evacuation orders west of the Hollywood Hills have been lifted.

Nearly 2,000 structures are known to have been destroyed, including homes, schools, and businesses along Sunset Boulevard. A fire ecologist told the BBC that “entire neighborhoods… have been destroyed.” Celebrities who have lost their homes include Leighton Meester, Adam Brody, and Paris Hilton. The insurance industry fears this could become one of the most costly wildfire outbreaks in US history, with insured losses expected to exceed $8 billion (£6.5 billion) due to the high property values in the path of the fires.

Firefighters have seen a glimmer of hope as the fire weather outlook for Southern California has been downgraded from “extremely critical” to “critical.” However, BBC weather presenter Sarah Keith-Lucas stated that no rain is forecast for the region in the coming week, meaning fire conditions remain ripe. Large areas of the city have experienced power outages, and traffic congestion is severe. Additionally, several schools and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been forced to close.

Political debate has erupted over the city's preparedness, following reports that some firefighters' hoses had run dry, with US President-elect Donald Trump seizing on the issue. According to California fire officials earlier on Thursday, at least five fires were raging across the wider region: Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lydia, and Sunset. Earlier fires at Woodley and Olivas have been contained by local fire departments. Officials have pointed out that high winds and drought in the region have left vegetation extremely dry and prone to burning. The potential impacts of climate change have also been mentioned, though specifics are unclear. Battalion Chief David Acuña of the California Fire Department stated that around 95% of wildfires in the region are caused by humans, but officials have not yet said how they believe the current fires started. The Santa Ana winds, which blow from inland towards the coast at over 97 km/h (60 mph), are believed to be a significant factor in the spread of the fires.

While strong winds and a lack of rainfall are driving the fires, experts say that climate change is altering background conditions and increasing the likelihood of such fires. Research from the US government clearly links climate change to larger and more severe wildfires in the western US. "Climate change, including rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and dry atmospheres, are key drivers increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. California is particularly vulnerable after a very warm summer and insufficient rainfall in recent months. The fire season in Southern California is usually considered to last from May to October, but the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, earlier pointed out that fires have become a year-round problem. "There is no fire season," he said. "It's fire year." Acuña told the BBC that the Palisades fire is the third major fire to have occurred in January in the last 30 years.