Five people are now known to have died in the fires, which are the worst in LA’s history, fuelled by persistent strong winds. Evacuation shelters have been set up, and the Foreign Office has launched a helpline for affected British nationals.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today show, Californian Fire Service battalion chief David Acuna said the fire in the Hollywood Hills area, one of the five main fires, was expanding rapidly. He added the fires were burning with "zero" containment owing to winds of 60-100mph on Wednesday (8 January).
