A large blaze remained out of control in the Hollywood Hills on Thursday morning, risking the famous Hollywood sign, as other major blazes surrounding Los Angeles forced 180,000 to evacuate and killed at least five people.
The Sunset Fire was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and about a mile from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
More than 180,000 people were ordered to evacuate as dry, hurricane-force winds hindered firefighting operations and spread the fires, which have burned thousands of acres since they began on Tuesday, making them the most destructive fires in Los Angeles history.
Fast-moving flames blazed through homes and businesses as residents fled smoke-filled canyons and picturesque neighbourhoods that are home to many celebrities.
Many of the towering fires that began on Tuesday were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, which gusted to more than 70 mph in some spots.
The flames threatened highly populated and affluent neighbourhoods, including Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California's rich and famous. Hollywood stars including Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore and James Woods were among those forced to flee, and Moore later said she lost her home in Altadena.
AccuWeather estimated Wednesday that $52 billion to $57 billion in preliminary damage and economic loss has occurred but the fires continue to burn.
The winds dropped on Thursday, but the National Weather Service warned that even the reduced gusts could still spread fire rapidly and the wind is expected to strengthen again on Thursday evening.
Another round of strong winds may form on Tuesday. The exact death toll remained unclear on Thursday morning in California, but the total is expected to rise as crews begin to search the rubble.
The so-called Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills scorched 50 acres on Wednesday, while the LA Fire Department issued an evacuation order for people in a large area iconic to the entertainment industry including Hollywood Boulevard to the south and Mulholland Drive to the north.
At least six separate wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County. The affected area is close to the famous Hollywood sign.
The wreckage surpassed that of the Sayre Fire of November 2008, which destroyed 604 structures in Sylmar, the northernmost suburb of the city, according to statistics kept by the Wildfire Alliance, a partnership between the city's fire department and MySafe:LA.
Within that area is the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars are held. Next week's Oscar nominations announcement was already postponed by two days because of the fire, organisers said.
More than half a dozen schools in the area were either damaged or destroyed, including Palisades Charter High School, which was featured in Carrie and the TV series Teen Wolf.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said air operations were dousing flames.
She warned they still faced "erratic winds," though not like Tuesday evening when aircraft had to be grounded and much of the destruction occurred.
On the Pacific Coast west of Los Angeles, a major fire levelled entire blocks, reducing grocery stores and banks to rubble in the Pacific Palisades, which is popular with celebrities.
Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton are among the stars who have lost homes.
Billy Crystal and his wife Janice lost their home of 45 years in the Palisades Fire.
"We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can't be taken away," the Crystals wrote in the statement.
President Joe Biden signed a federal emergency declaration after arriving at a Santa Monica fire station for a briefing with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who dispatched National Guard troops to help.
But US President-elect Donald Trump criticised the response of the state governor Mr Newson, slamming what he called “the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo.”
He claimed state officials had a policy of diverting fresh water to protect wetlands, so there was less fresh water to tackle the fires with.
But Mr Newsom hit back, telling CNN’s Anderson Cooper that Trump was attempting to politicise the crisis.
“People are literally fleeing, people have lost their lives, kids lost their schools, families completely torn asunder, churches burned down – this guy wanted to politicise it,” he said.
“I have a lot of thoughts about what I want to say, and I won’t,” the governor added.
See also: Shocking before and after photos show devastation of LA wildfires
Several Hollywood studios suspended production, and Universal Studios closed its theme park between Pasadena and Pacific Palisades.
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Office has confirmed that five people have now been killed in the Eaton Fire which broke out in the Altadena region.
The scope of the destruction has become clear with block after block of California Mission Style homes and bungalows reduced to nothing but charred remains dotted by stone fireplaces and blackened arched entryways. The apocalyptic scenes spread for miles.
Swimming pools were blackened with soot, and sports cars slumped on melted tyres.
Beyond the burned areas, residents worked wearing N95 masks, unable to escape the toxic smoke wafting over huge sections of the city.
The flames marched toward highly populated and affluent neighbourhoods, including Calabasas and Santa Monica, home to California's rich and famous.
In the race to get away in Pacific Palisades, roadways became impassable when scores of people abandoned their vehicles and fled on foot.
California's wildfire season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data. Rains that usually end fire season are often delayed, meaning fires can burn through the winter months, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association.
Dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimetres) of rain since early May.
The winds increased to 80 mph (129 kph) Wednesday, according to reports received by the National Weather Service. Forecasters predicted wind gusts of 35-55 mph (56 to 88 kph) that could rise higher in the mountains and foothills. Fire conditions could last through Friday.
