At least 5 dead as wildfires devastate upscale Los Angeles enclaves

More than 100,000 residents in southern California were ordered to evacuate and five people were confirmed dead as wildfires raged out of control across the Los Angeles region for a second day.

The blazes spread to the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday, forcing evacuations from the densely populated hillside neighbourhoods overlooking iconic attractions including the Hollywood Bowl and the Walk of Fame.

The Hollywood fire put further pressure on firefighters who have been struggling to contain multiple blazes across the city and its suburbs since one started on Tuesday in Pacific Palisades, one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in the US.

Insurers are bracing for what is expected to be one of the costliest natural disasters in California’s history.

Strong winds have fanned flames in at least four different locations across more than 25,000 acres, sending dark plumes of acrid smoke and ash across the city. Wind gusts ranged from 50 to 80 miles an hour throughout the region, said the National Weather Service, frustrating efforts to contain the fire.

The air quality in much of Los Angeles was deemed “very unhealthy”, with parts of the city far from the fires smelling strongly of smoke. At a news conference on Wednesday, authorities acknowledged that they were struggling to catch up with the rapidly unfolding events.

Little was known about how the fires began, but the windy conditions that have allowed them to spread are expected to persist. Low humidity and drought conditions are expected to continue in Los Angeles and Ventura counties until at least Friday.

California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, which enabled the National Guard to be deployed. President Joe Biden on Wednesday released federal funds to pay for temporary housing, home repairs and loans to cover uninsured property losses. The county of Los Angeles said schools would be closed on Thursday.