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At least 25 people have died in the Los Angeles fires as two major blazes continue to burn across the sprawling US city.
Firefighters made progress over the weekend in containing the Palisades and Eaton fires but warn that the return of high winds – forecast until Wednesday – could see these two spread again, or fuel new ones.
The fires are already among the most destructive in LA’s history when measured by the number of buildings destroyed. Rebuilding work will cost “tens of billions” of dollars, US President Joe Biden has said.
What’s the latest?
An area to the north-west of the city centre is described by officials as “particularly dangerous”.
A red flag warning – indicating a high level of fire danger – is in place until 18: 00 (02: 00 GMT) on Wednesday, with the strongest Santa Ana winds expected on Tuesday.
Nearby, the largest fire is in the Palisades area, and has burnt through more than 23,000 acres. It is still only about 14% contained, despite the efforts of thousands of firefighters.
The blaze is moving east, threatening the exclusive neighbourhood of Brentwood, home to the Getty Center, a world-famous art museum that has evacuated its staff.
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Another fire, Eaton, is more deadly than Palisades so far – responsible for 16 of the deaths.
The overall destruction is immense, with more than 12,000 structures – homes, outbuildings, sheds, mobile homes and cars – destroyed. Celebrities Mel Gibson and Paris Hilton are among those who have lost their homes.
Tens of thousands of homes are also without power.
The fires could turn out to be the costliest in US history, with damage projected at up to $150bn, according to a preliminary estimate by AccuWeather.
Where are the fires?
There are three active fires in the wider area, while a smaller fire is nearly contained, say California fire officials:
Palisades: The first fire to erupt a week ago and the biggest in the region. It has scorched more than 23,000 acres as of Tuesday, including the upmarket Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, and is only 14% contained Eaton: Affecting the northern part of LA, blazing through areas such as Altadena. It is the second biggest fire in the area, burning more than 14,000 acres. It is now 33% containedHurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it began burning last Tuesday. It has grown to 799 acres, but is almost fully containedAuto: Broke out on Monday. It has reportedly been stopped from moving forwards after spanning 56 acres, according to Ventura County officialsThe earlier Kenneth, Archer, Sunset, Lidia,
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