Thousands of acres on fire in Los Angeles

Firefighters are working to control a blaze in Los Angeles that has killed at least 24 people, engulfed thousands of buildings and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.

This is a rapidly changing situation – these maps and pictures show the scale of the challenge, the location of the fires and the damage they have caused.

The largest fire in the Pacific Palisades region was the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history. More than 23,000 acres have burned so far.

Placing the affected areas on a map of New York and London shows just how large the affected area is, stretching from Clapham to Greenwich in the British capital, or across swaths of lower Manhattan and Queens.

There are currently four fires burning in the Los Angeles area.

• fence Fires: The largest fires occurred between Santa Monica and Malibu. Area burned: 23,713 acres.

• Eaton Fire: Second largest fire burning north of Pasadena. Area burned: 14,117 acres.

• hearst Fire: In the northeastern part of the city. Area burned: 799 acres. According to Los Angeles officials, 97% of the area is contained.
• car Fire: In the west of Chuangye County. Area burned: 56 acres.

But six other fires have been brought under control.

Kenneth Fire: In the West Hills area, north of Palisades. The fire had burned 1,052 acres since Thursday and was contained by Sunday afternoon.

Lydia Fire: Fires were reported in the mountains north of Los Angeles. Area burned: 395 acres.

shooter Fire: A small fire broke out Friday and burned 19 acres.

woodley Fire: A small fire broke out in a local park. Fired area: 30 acres.

olives Fire: A small fire was reported for the first time in Ventura County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. Area burned: 11 acres.

Sunset Fire: Reported in the historic Hollywood Hills area, near many famous landmarks, including the Hollywood sign. Area burned: 43 acres.

Officials said the two largest fires have destroyed more than 12,000 structures, including about 5,000 each in the Palisades and Eaton fires.

As shown in the image below, the fires primarily burned uninhabited areas but have spread to more populated areas.

Analysis of satellite data by experts at the CUNY Graduate Center and Oregon State University showed that some buildings survived the fire zone, but many were damaged or destroyed. Depending on how the fire spreads, more people could be at risk.

Among the buildings that have been destroyed in the Palisades Fire are a number of unique properties just west of the Malibu oceanfront.

Slide your cursor over the image below to see aerial views of the area then and now.

Both the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire are visible from space, as shown in the satellite image below.

An unusually dry period (downtown Los Angeles has received just 0.16 inches (0.4 centimeters) of rain since October) combined with powerful offshore wind gusts known as Santa Ana winds has created conditions ripe for wildfires.

Santa Ana winds move from east to west across Southern California's mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

They blow across inland deserts, causing a drop in humidity that dries out vegetation. If a fire does break out, winds can blow smoldering embers into a sea of ​​flames within minutes.

The map below shows how quickly the Palisades Fire spread and intensified within hours. Just after 14:00 on Tuesday, it covered 772 acres, roughly doubling its size in four hours.

The Palisades Fire now covers more than 23,000 acres, forcing thousands of people to evacuate the area and more than 1,400 firefighters working to extinguish the blaze.

The Eaton Fire also quickly grew in size to more than 14,000 acres from about 1,000 acres on Tuesday, forcing thousands to flee.

Photographers also captured the heartbreaking extent of damage the fires wreaked on the ground – as these before and after photos show.

The Jewish Temple in Pasadena was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. The center has been in use since 1941 and currently houses more than 400 families, according to its website.

The scope of damage is still growing as authorities continue to struggle to contain the blaze, but the damage is expected to be one of the costliest in US history, with losses expected to exceed $135bn (£109.7bn).

Firefighters face a critical day as forecasters warn that particularly dangerous winds northwest of Los Angeles could cause the fires to spread.

Red flag weather warnings with wind gusts up to 70 mph were in effect, while residents elsewhere in Los Angeles were told to stay indoors to avoid dust and ash.