Five dead as ANOTHER LA blaze breaks out with ‘most destructive bush fires in history’ torching over 1k buildings

FIVE people are dead and many more are injured in what officials call the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, devastatingly torching homes and businesses.

And another broke out in the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon on Wednesday night, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.

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Pasedena's mayor Victor Gordo has dubbed the deadly fires that have obliterated over 10,600 acres at 0 per cent containment a "tremendous tragedy".

Gusty winds and dry conditions have allowed the four major fires - the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and Woodley fires - to spread across multiple cities and neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.

Of the latest outbreak, Ms Crowley added: "I can tell you we’re throwing all of our available resources at it as we speak. I am seeing active water drops as we speak.”

There are a shocking 100,000 people under mandatory evacuation and close to another 100,000 who have been warned to evacuate, Gordo said about the Eaton blaze.

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He added that "thoughts and prayers" are with those who have lost their homes - or lives - in LA's worst natural disaster in recent decades.

The mayor said that this time is "an opportunity to band together and work to support one another".

He added: "Check in on friends and neighbours."

In the recent hours of the deadly Eaton fires, people have been pulled from burning buildings and structures destroyed with 70mph force, Fire chief Chad Augustine said.

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So far, there are between 200 and 500 structures that have been damaged or lost.

Emergency workers are "exhausted," Augustine said, but have done "incredible work".

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Red flag conditions are expected through Thursday with high wind speeds, but not as strong as what has been seen previously.

City manager Miguel Marquez called the past 22 hours "brutal," adding that people had "put their own lives at risk to save others".

He said how police officers have been "door to door" evacuating those still in their homes which has saved lives - calling their efforts "heroic".

"We will not relent, we will heal, we will rebuild," he stressed.

Meanwhile LA county supervisor Catherine Marter had a stern advice for those who have been looting in areas where the Eaton blaze has taken over.

Three people have been arrested for allegedly looting in fire-hit areas, according to LA County Sheriff Robert Luna.

He said: "That is 100 percent unacceptable."

Ms Marter had earlier warned that those who are considering looting would have "the full weight of the county" come down on them.

Police Chief Gene Harris called first responders to an escalated fire-turned-rescue "nothing short of heroic," taking all night to evacuate people in the "robust" effort.

Over 20,000 acres across four Los Angeles areas have burned since the fires began on Monday.

It comes as...

• Five people have died in four wildfires engulfing Los Angeles
• The fire started with a backyard blaze
• The out-of-control flames were named the 'most destructive in history' as they continue to grow with 0% containment
• The emergency forced at least 70,000 to flee their homes and schools have closed
• Nearly 400,000 homes are left without power as over 1,000 structures destroyed
• Firefighters are "maxed out" and reportedly running out of water
• Harrowing footage shows the city up in flames

The strong winds in the Los Angeles region have hindered the efforts by firefighters to put out the flames, which are currently at 0% containment.

The origins of the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire are still unknown and are under investigation.

Congress member Judy Chu said she couldn't believe the "destruction" to homes and buildings after Biden declared the fires a national disaster.

Bringing relief to many of those affected, she added that all expenses would be reimbursed but stressed the importance of staying away from the forest area and to follow evacuation orders.

State senator Sasha Rene Perez stressed the volume of calls coming in about businesses and homes that have been lost from the unbelievable blaze.

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Stressing just how "incredibly dangerous" the fires are, the senator pleaded for those who haven't already, to evacuate.

Schools in the area are to remain closed for the rest of the week and five campuses have been damaged by the flames, school district Dr Blanco confirmed.

Phillip Cohen, 68, a former educator who is battling cancer, was forced to flee his $1 million condo in the Pacific Palisades on Tuesday as flames reached the property.

Cohen has no idea if his home is still standing as he made his way to Westwood Recreation Center for shelter.

Women sobbing, carrying babies and holding on to toddlers, running down Sunset Boulevard. It was a mess. And as time went by, it became more chaotic.

Phillip Cohen, an affected resident of the wildfires

Speaking exclusively to The U.S. Sun, he described in detail how he saw women and children sobbing as they ran for their lives.

"I saw embers from the fire at around 10:15 am, and then I went out of my building with some other residents and we watched the fire for a couple of hours on Sunset Boulevard," Cohen said.

"I live on Sunset Boulevard and PCH [Pacific Coast Highway]. We watched the fire spread. We watched the people that were being evacuated.

"And they had to get out by foot. They had to leave their cars. Women sobbing, carrying babies, and holding on to toddlers, running down Sunset Boulevard.

"At one point, they got residents out of the Palisades highland and they were gathered right near the fire station on Sunset Boulevard, then a fire spread and broke out right behind the fire station.

"And then I could hear the police yelling, 'Get out, get out of here, leave your cars, get out and run for your life.' 

"It was a mess. And as time went by, it became more chaotic. I stayed way past the evacuation initiation. I own my home, I have a pacemaker.

"I'm battling some cancers. I’m okay, I run every day, but once I saw flames come up to the building, I was out of there.

"I talked to an acquaintance, got him out of out of his building and we found someone that took us in last night in the valley and now we're here sheltering."

Cohen continued, "I live alone, and I've been there 27 years. It's a one-bedroom condo worth about a little over a million now.

"When I first moved in, maybe a year later, there was a fire in the same area. We were evacuated, but I was able to talk to the officer to let me go back in at night.

"No chance this time. I have to wait until the evacuation is over. This is the worst I’ve seen [in Los Angeles]. The spread is so crazy.

"It's the Palisades, Brentwood, the basins in the valley, Sylmar in the valley, Pasadena, Altadena, Santa Clarita, and Lancaster, and that’s about 80 miles away. And then it's still somewhat kicking up.

"It was me in my car, I grabbed my meds and my cell phone. The person I'm with here, he didn’t have a chance to get his car.

"I have condo insurance, so I'm covered. But I've heard stories of many who aren't.

"I don’t know what's left. I may have lost all of my son's baby photos from my hard drive, everything from my computer, and furniture. I can't go back for four or five days.

"I must say, major disasters can be a horrible equalizer in the sense that people with huge estates in the Palisades and Brentwood have nothing left. They've lost everything."

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said first responders have made little progress in containing the raging fires that have scored through thousands of acres.

Several first responders and residents who did not evacuate the wildfire zones suffered injuries, Marrone said.

The Palisades Fire burning in the Pacific Palisades, an affluent neighborhood in western Los Angeles, has destroyed 1,000 structures and continues to grow, Marrone added.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the Palisades Fire, which began on Monday, was sparked by a backyard fire before strong winds fanned embers to neighboring areas, according to NBC affiliate .

SHERIFF CONDEMNS LOOTING

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna denounced looters who are taking advantage of abandoned homes of residents who have evacuated.

"It's always sad when I have to say this, but part of our responsibility is to make sure nobody loots or steals from our community members who are already being impacted," Luna said.

The sheriff said two people were arrested on Wednesday morning for looting in burn areas.

"So if you're thinking of coming into any of these areas to steal from our residents, I'm going to tell you something - you're going to get caught, you're going to be arrested, and you're going to be prosecuted," Luna added.

The sheriff urged people to take evacuation seriously, but not everyone has gotten the message.

On Tuesday night, a crowd of out-of-touch influencers were seen entering an evacuation zone to snap selfies in front of the blazing carnage.

"Stay out of these areas, it's only for emergency workers and people who live there," Luna said.

As of Wednesday morning, over 1,000 structures had been obliterated, more than 70,000 residents are under an evacuation order, and an additional 28,000 structures are at risk from the flames.

At least three million homes and businesses across Los Angeles County are without power, according to , an electrical service company.

., President-elect 's pick to be his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, told that his home in Brentwood was evacuated.

"Yeah, we've been evacuated. I'm hoping it's still standing," Kennedy Jr. said.

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'APOCALYPTIC BURNING'

Trump slammed California Governor 's policy decisions, which he said are responsible for the "apocalyptic" burning in Los Angeles.

"Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn't work!), but didn't care about the people of California.

"Now, the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!

"He is the blame for this. On top of it all, now water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!"

During his first administration, Trump proposed exporting more water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to some Central Valley farms and Southern  cities, such as Los Angeles.

However, state officials and environmentalists objected the proposal, saying it would lead to the extinction of fish such as salmon, smelt, and steelhead that are found in the waterways.

Newsom pitched an idea last April, proposing the construction of a tunnel that would allow water to flow from the delta to several cities' main water hubs.

The governor said rerouting the water only during wet weather will minimize harm to local communities and endangered fish.

Several proposals by the administrations of President and Newsom have not materialized.

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'MAXIMUM LIMIT'

Kevin McGowan, the director of emergency management of Los Angeles County, described the wildfires as a "historical natural disaster."

Los Angeles County remains under a red flag weather warning as strong winds and low humidity will remain in the region.

The powerful gusts grounded firefighting aircraft on Tuesday evening.

Kristin Crowley, the Los Angeles Fire Department fire chief, said the blazes were "stretching the capacity of our emergency services to their maximum limits."

Fire Chief Marrone said the county and its 29 fire departments "are not prepared for this type of widespread disaster."

"The LA County Fire Department was prepared for one or two major brush fires, but more four, especially given these sustained winds and low humidities," Marrone said.

"This is not a normal red flag alert. People were calling for help. We tried to get them the help that they needed.

"LA County right now, like the LA City Fire Department, is prioritizing life safety, but we are also engaging in structure defense, perimeter control and aerial operations.

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"We're doing the very best we can, but we don't have enough fire personnel in LA County between all of the departments to handle this."

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