We are just minutes away from an expected news conference by fire officials.

As we wait, here is what you need to know about four wildfires burning across the Los Angeles area.

• Palisades fire: At just after 10:00 local time on Tuesday (18:00 GMT), a wildfire broke out in the Palisades and quickly grew to the size of 2,950 acres
• Eaton fire: Wind-whipped flames from this fire that broke out on Tuesday evening in the Altadena area has now engulfed 2,227 acres of land
• Hurst fire: The third fire - which also began on Tuesday - has now swarmed 505 acres of the Sylmar region
• Woodley fire: The most recent of all the wildfires, the Woodley blaze, was just reported by California's fire authority in the last hour. It's currently burning over 75 acres of terrain
• Tyler fire: The smallest of the five, this blaze broke out a few hours ago in Riverside County - the state's fire authority says it's now 100% contained

For the four remaining blazes, 0% are contained, according to Cal Fire.

This is a rapidly developing situation so stay with us for updates.

As we wait for an update from fire officials, here's the latest photos of the blazes raging across Los Angeles.

Some 49,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and more than 1,400 firefighters have been deployed.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

We've just heard from Tanner Charles and Orly Israel who evacuated the Rustic Canyon area last night after failing to fireproof Israel's home. They say they are "still in shock" and "thankful to be alive".

"We were told to evacuate at 10:00 or 11:00 but we didn't leave until 17:00 as we were battling the fire. My face is still burnt, my eyes are still stinging," says Israel.

The pair tried to prepare Israel's house by watering down nearby trees and bushes, and removing flammable materials. However, they say they had to leave when the fire proved too strong.

"I've never seen anything like this before, especially here in California. The magnitude and how severe the winds are, the insanity of this event is unprecedented," says Charles.

Israel goes on to say that he thinks very little of his neighbourhood has survived the fire, adding "everything is destroyed".

An update now on one of the five fires we've been reporting on.

The Tyler blaze - which we only reported a short while ago as having broken out in Riverside County, which is around 60 miles (97km) from LA - is now 100% contained, according to the state's fire authority.

When it was first reported, officials from the Cal Fire said that the smaller wildfire - covering just 15 acres - had broken out at 03:00 local time (11:00 GMT).

The remaining four wildfires burning across southern California are still 0% contained.

We can now bring you some satellite imagery showing the scale of the Palisades fire, which was the first to break out.

The images captured on Tuesday also show a huge plume of smoke rising from California.

We're expecting to hear from fire department officials in Los Angeles shortly.

A news conference is scheduled for 08:00 local time (16:00 GMT), where we should learn more about the size of the wildfires and the efforts of emergency responders to contain them.

We'll be covering the conference so follow along for updates.

Another fire has now broken out in the LA area, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection - the state's fire authority.

The Woodley fire is currently 75 acres in size - larger than the Tyler fire (just outside LA, in southern California) which broke out a short while ago in Riverside County.

The Woodley fire broke out at approximately 06:15 local time (14:15 GMT) and its cause is under investigation, according to Cal Fire.

• As a reminder: There are four other fires in LA and the surrounding area - the Palasides fire, currently burning more than 200 acres, the Eaton fire (1,000 acres), the Hurst fire (500 acres) and the Tyler fire (15 acres).

With news of a fourth - much smaller - fire breaking out in southern California, we've just heard from Dr Ariel Cohen, Meteorologist in Charge at the National Weather Service in Los Angeles about what to do when dealing with wildfire threats.

He describes this as "one of the most significant fire outbreaks in history".

Speaking about the strong winds which fuelled the fire overnight, Cohen says this is "the most destructive windstorm we've seen in decades".

"We're talking about 80-100mph (128-160kmph) winds that are spreading fires throughout the Los Angeles area creating a catastrophe," he says.

"I'm pleading with everyone, if you receive that evacuation order take it seriously, your life depends on it," he adds.

Cohen goes on to say that no rain is currently forecast, and and that winds at their current strength are due to continue for another few hours, while winds later in the day will remain "quite strong, even damaging".

Sam Hancock
Live page editor

Image source, Getty Images

It's just turned 06:00 (14:00 GMT) in Los Angeles, where firefighters have been battling through the night with multiple wildfires that have forced thousands of people to flee their homes. If you're just joining us, here's a look at what's been happening:

• Just after 10:00 local time (18:00 GMT) yesterday, a fire in a residential backyard spread due to high-speed winds - the fire in Palisades rapidly spread from 20 acres to more than 200 acres in about 20 minutes, with 2,900 acres burned so far
• Some 49,000 people have since been told to evacuate from affected areas, with more than 1,400 firefighters deployed to battle the blazes
• But the fire is currently 0% contained as authorities say there is "no possibility" of bringing it under control - the latest update from the LA fire department is that the situation remains "very dangerous" and wind speeds are "worsening"

• Two additional fires in nearby towns have also started burning: the Hurst fire, north of San Fernando, which has burned 500 acres and the Eaton fire, in Altadena, which has burned 1,000 acres
• And in the last hour or so, a fourth, smaller fire - the Tyler fire - has been reported by the state's fire authority in Riverside County - it's currently burning about 15 acres in sizes (much smaller than the others) but it's one we're monitoring as day breaks on the US's West Coast

We'll continue to bring you the latest updates right here, including from our teams on the ground in LA, and remember you can watch the BBC News Channel's coverage of the fires at the top of this page.

A fourth, much smaller, blaze has been reported in southern California according to the state's fire authority.

The Tyler fire in Riverside County - about 60 miles (97km) southeast of Los Angeles - is currently about 15 acres in size, much less than the three other fires currently burning in the LA area.

The blaze broke out just after 03:00 am local time (11:00 GMT) and its cause is under investigation, Cal Fire says.

Image source, Alex Pearlman

A long-time Los Angeles native tells the BBC that the winds driving the wildfires are “like nothing I’ve ever seen before”.

"The winds are so strong, I can hear the windows on the house shaking," Alex Pearlman, whose mother was evacuated from her own home in neighbouring Malibu, tells Newshour.

Pearlman said her mother is "devastated" by the real possibility that this would be the last time she'll see her house standing.

She adds the looming "orange haze" in the sky that she can see from her own neighbourhood in Santa Monica has left her fearful of what could come next.

“It’s not that far, that’s what’s really terrifying," she says. "I’m still awake at 01:00 here in California, mainly because I’m too afraid to sleep."

• Santa Ana winds are fuelling the fire - learn more about how they're worsening the situation

Shelby Kidman was onboard a Southwest airlines flight from Salt Lake City and filmed the blaze from above.

The plane was on its approach on Tuesday evening to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at about 18:00 local time (02:00 GMT).

You can watch the short clip which shows how intense and widespread the flames are on the ground.

Three wildfires are surging in the north and west of Los Angeles.

The biggest of these, known as the Palisades fire, has so far burnt through more than 2,900 acres - fanned by gusty winds and dry conditions. The map below shows how rapidly the blaze spread, intensifying in a matter of hours.

Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, as more than 1,400 firefighters try to tackle the blaze.

Further evacuation orders have been issued in the Pasadena area due to the spread of the Eaton fire, which now covers 1,000 acres.

An evacuation area has also been set up at Pasadena Convention Center.

Among the buildings that have been destroyed by the flames is the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, which sits on land that has been used by its congregation since 1941, according to its website.

Alex Fernandez, who was a worshipper at the temple, told NBC News that he felt "numb" as he watched it burn. "It’s like a bad, bad horrific dream to see that it’s not going to be here tomorrow," he said.

Updates on the Palisades and Eaton fires can be accessed on the LA County website. , external

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department has said a 25 year-old female firefighter sustained a serious head injury and was transported to a local hospital last night.

Erik Scott also said in a post on X, external multiple burn victims were reported walking toward a nearby restaurant elsewhere in the city and fire officials intervened to get them needed treatment.

We're expecting to hear official totals of injuries from officials later today.

• The Palisades fire: First reported at 10:30 local time (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday, the fire grew in just 20 minutes from a blaze of 20 acres to more than 200 acres. Now, at least 30,000 people have been ordered to be evacuated from their homes and it covers nearly 3,000 acres
• The Eaton fire: Within the first six hours of breaking out in Altadena, the Eaton fire had already grown to cover 1,000 acres. The fire started Tuesday evening in the hills above Pasadena (18:30 local time, 02:30 GMT)
• The Hurst fire: Located just north of San Fernando, this third fire began burning on Tuesday at around 22:10 local time (06:10 GMT). It has grown to 500 acres, according to local officials and has triggered evacuation orders in neighbouring Santa Clarita

A little earlier, Pacific Palisades resident David Latt told the BBC's Today programme about the decisions he and his wife have made about what items to take with them as they flee.

"You're expected to have a grab-and-go bag, which has essential documents - maybe it's passports or whatever, important paperwork," he said.

Latt says they grabbed family photographs and artwork - and the relevant documents to file their taxes, which are due in April.

"You're walking around, room to room, looking at what you cannot part with - maybe it's a photograph, maybe it's a necklace my wife remembers her Mum giving her", he says.

"Everything else, you're saying 'I can't take you with me, I may never see you again'. I mean, it's that part you can't get over. It's tough."

Image source, Getty Images

Several schools in LA will be closed on Wednesday due to the fires and high winds in the area. Some have said lessons will be moved online.

The full list of districts affected has been published here. , external

Schools in Santa Monica and Malibu have also been closed and a decision about whether to extend all closures will be made later on Wednesday.

Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist

Image source, Reuters

The Santa Ana winds will – in the short term – increase slightly during the early to mid-morning local time in Los Angeles.

Gusts generally will be around 50-60mph (80-100km/h) but locally up to 100mph (160km/h) over portions of the higher ground.

The other weather factor critical to wildfires is the relative humidity – or how dry the air is - which is also very low at the moment at 10-20%. But this is likely to fall even further to 5-10% after sunrise. In other words, it will get even drier.

Local forecasts from the National Weather Service are predicting there could be localised extreme conditions near the Santa Ana mountains in Orange County. Additionally, a critical fire notice will extend towards San Diego.

Any new fires starting in the early morning will spread quickly.

The good news is that the wind will start to ease slightly during Wednesday afternoon, with the most extreme fire weather conditions slightly improving.

However, it will stay rather breezy so firefighting will still be difficult in some areas.

CBS News, BBC's US partner, is reporting firefighting crews from northern California and Arizona have been deployed to assist the trio of blazes raging in southern California.

The LA Fire Department is also seeking help from off-duty firefighters.

CBS News correspondent Danya Bakus is in the Pacific Palisades, one of the worst affected areas so far, and has told the BBC it is the first time in 19 years that such a call has been put out.

Bakus also says strong wind gusts are hindering emergency rescue teams who are unable to use any aircrafts, such as helicopters, that could drop water and other fire retardants on the flames.