Image source, Getty Images

Baillie Gifford Prize-winning author John Vaillant is in southern California and has been following the Los Angeles wildfires closely.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme it is all "tragically familiar".

"When you look at the global sweep of these things, the steady heating of the planet and the intensification of fire in all kinds of places from southern Europe to northern Canada to California - you can see the pattern," says Valliant - whose book tells the story of how wildfires overwhelmed a city in Canada.

But for people around Los Angeles, the fires are new and shocking, he says. "There is this strange disconnect between the individual surprise in the face of this larger trend of many previous occurrences of fires like this. I am surprised that they are surprised."

Valliant describes the neighbourhoods as "unrecognisable" in the face of the destruction the fires have brought.

Residents who are evacuating with their pets are struggling to find places to keep them.

At least eight pet day care centres have opened their doors to small animals needing a place to stay while their owner is unable to return home.

Another four shelters are accommodating large animals, such as horses.

Meanwhile, what appears to be a desert tortoise has been spotted by a Reuters photographer roaming the streets among evacuees from the Eaton fire in Altadena.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Image source, Reuters

Sarah Keith-Lucas
Weather presenter

The fire weather outlook for southern California has now been downgraded from "extremely critical" to "critical".

Winds speeds through Wednesday evening continued to gust widely between 40-60mph (64-97kmh), with isolated gusts over the hills between 70-85mph (113-137kmh).

We should have seen the peak of the highest gusts now, with wind speeds forecast to gradually weaken a little over the next few hours into Thursday morning. However, throughout Thursday, winds could strengthen again a little, with afternoon gusts of up to 40mph still affecting parts of Los Angeles. Humidity will remain low, too.

Although we've seen the worst of the Santa Ana winds, a red flag warning of critical fire weather remains in force until 18:00 local time Friday (02:00 GMT Saturday) for strong, gusty winds and low humidity.

Although temperatures may fall by a few degrees over the next few days, there is no rain in the forecast for at least the next week.

So despite a modest improvement in fire weather conditions, significant fire growth remains likely with ongoing or new fires.

Jennifer Colby, a response co-ordinator in the nearby city of Pasadena, says most in the area "have never seen a disaster like this before".

"It’s very difficult", she tells our colleagues at BBC Breakfast.

Colby says thousands of personnel are "working tirelessly to support the community with a priority of keeping everyone safe."

The fire department are optimistic that favourable weather conditions over the next couple days could help bring the blazes under control, she adds.

Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Californian fire ecologist Chad Hanson has given me some of the main developments since I last spoke to him yesterday. He tells me the most striking aspect right now for him is seeing the scale of destruction.

"What we have seen are entire neighbourhoods which have been wiped out," he says. "Homes gone, businesses gone."

Hanson says the "devastation is kind of hard to get your mind around. Five people have been killed - it could have been hundreds."

Since first responders realised that conditions would prevent them from containing the fires, they focussed their efforts on evacuating residents instead.

"They did an extraordinary job."

Hanson says there is a prediction of another Santa Ana wind event next week.

"There is no rain predicted between now and then," he adds. "It’ll be even drier and if we have another Santa Ana event" then any remaining or new fires could spark up.

Let's bring you some of the latest images coming to us from California as new wildfires have broken out in the last few hours.

Intense flames have been difficult to tackle due to high winds, dry conditions and low water pressure.

The photos below give an idea of the challenges facing firefighters:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

We can bring you more now from Battalion Chief David Acuna, who has given some context as to just how extraordinary the fires are for this time of year in California.

"We have only two other times in the last 30 years … had a major fire in January and yet here we are," he tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Acuna says the Eaton fire may be the second major fire of the month, something that is "unprecedented".

"It is amazing that this climate change and these conditions have led to where we are now in a significant position of threat," he says.

Usually, January would provide time for fire teams to "recoup", Acuna adds.

Staffing is reduced, and "we do projects to prepare the upcoming spring and early summer - but right now we are all out fighting fires and rescuing people."

David Acuna, a battalion chief at the Californian Fire Service, tells the BBC's Today programme that the fire burning in the Hollywood Hills is "rapidly expanding" and progress on containing the fires "is zero".

"The wind has been blowing consistently at 60-100mph since yesterday morning," Acuna says.

"It actually blew harder last night," he says, adding wind speeds have now dropped to about 30 mph (48kmh). But "it is still significant and because there are a lot of open areas it is extremely dangerous."

Acuna insists the priority of the first responders is to save people, adding that more evacuation warnings and orders are being drawn up.

Image source, Reuters

It has just gone 23:15 in Los Angeles. Five fires continue to burn in the city, with the two largest - Eaton and Palisades - entirely uncontained.

Together, the Eaton and Palisades fires are burning nearly 26,400 acres of land in LA.

The LA Fire Department (LAFD) says the Woodley and Olivas fires which broke out Wednesday have been contained.

The Lidia fire, which broke out at around 14:00 local time (22:00 GMT) on Wednesday in the mountainous Acton area north of LA, is about 40% contained, according to Cal Fire, the state's fire authority.

• In maps: Thousands of acres on fire in LA

Kelly Ng
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

If you're just joining us, here's what to know about what unfolded in the Los Angeles area overnight.

• There are five active fires in Los Angeles, which are collectively burning nearly 27,000 acres of land. The two largest fires - Palisades and Eaton - are burning for a second night and are entirely uncontained
• Firefighters have made some headway battling the Hurst fire in the San Fernando Valley
• Five people are confirmed dead from the Eaton fire. Across the city, more than 137,000 people have been forced to evacuate
• Fear and chaos sweep through the streets of the Hollywood Hills as the latest blaze erupted near Runyon Canyon on Wednesday evening
• US President Joe Biden has declared that a major disaster is taking place in California, making federal funding available to affected individuals
• Authorities have issued an unsafe water alert to residents in the Pacific Palisades, urging them to only drink boiled or bottled water, while firefighters have resorted to taking water from swimming pools and ponds amid a water shortage

More than 1,000 structures have been destroyed as six separate fires burn in and around Los Angeles, which is dotted with film stars' mansions.

Some of the worst devastation was in the scenic enclave of Pacific Palisades, where a wind-whipped inferno has exploded from several hundred acres to more than 15,000 since Tuesday.

In the past few hours, we heard that actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes just days ago, have lost their home.

In an Instagram post, actress and presenter Ricki Lake shared that she lost her "dream home."

"It was our heaven on earth," she wrote, adding that she grieves "along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event."

Paris Hilton said she lost her Malibu home "where we built so many precious memories" adding "my heart and prayers are going out to every family affected by these fires."

They join a growing list of celebrities who have lost their homes in the wildfires.

Image source, Instagram/@rickilake

High winds and drought are the main culprits behind the mid-winter wildfires raging in Southern California - and climate change is likely to be playing a major role.

US government research is unequivocal in linking climate change to larger and more severe wildfires in the western United States.

"Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

And following a very warm summer and lack of rain in recent months, California is particularly vulnerable.

The dry conditions, combined with the naturally-occurring Santa Ana winds, can produce the sort of fast-moving and dangerous fire outbreaks we are seeing in Los Angeles and its neighbouring Ventura county.

Fire season in Southern California is generally thought to stretch from May to October. But as California Governor Gavin Newsom put it in a press conference on Tuesday, blazes are now a perennial issue.

"There’s no fire season," he said. "It’s fire year."

John Sudworth
Reporting from Los Angeles

We meet Tony Davoodi helping a neighbour trying to protect his home in the Pacific Palisades, the suburb where the disaster first begun on Tuesday.

The adjacent houses on all sides are completely gone, their skeleton structures still burning.

The friends scoop water from the swimming pool in buckets and pans, ferrying the water to the edge of the property. It steams as they pour it onto the hot earth. For now, it seems to be working.

David Behrend is originally from South Africa but has lived in the Palisades for years.

He's managed to get through the police roadblocks, and we meet him close to the fire trucks and then follow him down the road a short way to inspect his property. He's hopeful it might still be standing.

When we get there, there's nothing left except a smouldering shell.

He tells me the house holds many memories. It is the place where he has brought up his children. But he's insured, and is adamant he'll be able to rebuild.

Tanner Charles and his friend were at home trying to make their house as fire-proof as possible when the Palisades blaze started closing in.

They filmed the moment they were forced to leave, running down a street with multiple burning homes.

The Palisades fire, one of several burning in Los Angeles, exploded in size late Tuesday as powerful winds hit northwest Los Angeles.

It has destroyed at least 1,000 buildings and forced more than 30,000 residents to evacuate.

The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power has strongly advised people in the Pacific Palisades and adjacent communities to "only use boiled water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes until further notice".

The alert, issued on 8 January, was triggered due to low water pressure in the water distribution system, which was caused by high water usage to respond to the Pacific Palisades wildfire, the department said in the notice.

The LADWP suggests that people bring all tap water to a boil for one minute and cool it before use. The advice also applies to water that is used for brushing teeth, making ice cubes and food preparation.

The notice remains effective until further notice as the LADWP re-pressurises the system and conducts tests on water quality. The test will take at least 48 hours, according to the Department.

John Sudworth
Reporting from Los Angeles

Image source, John Sudworth

More homes are burning into a second night in the Pacific Palisades as the fire crews stand back, telling us they don't have enough water to fight the flames.

With whole blocks ablaze, the crews use their hoses sparingly, training them every now and again on the roofs of those properties still standing in the hope of stopping the fire from spreading.

But the wind is strong up here above the ocean, and the flames and sparks leap high into the night air.

The fire seems set in everywhere you look, illuminating the surrounding ridges and hilltops with an eerie orange glow.

Image source, John Sudworth

It was just days ago that married actors Leighton Meester and Adam Brody were celebrating at the Golden Globes, where the latter was nominated for his work in hit Netflix show Nobody Wants This.

But the couple are now among the growing list of Hollywood stars who have lost their homes to the fires raging in LA, according to US media reports.

Image source, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

There are now at least seven fires in Los Angeles and some of its neighbouring counties.

The largest two, in the Palisades and Eaton, first ignited on Tuesday and have collectively burned nearly 27,000 acres since.

At least 137,000 people have been forced to evacuate from these fires alone.

Among the other blazes is the Hurst Fire, which broke out in the Sylmar neighbourhood north of San Fernando, and the Sunset Fire, which recently erupted in the Hollywood Hills, near Runyon Canyon.

Ben Derico
BBC News, North America

I’ve just landed in Las Vegas after leaving, well, Las Vegas.

My flight to Los Angeles’ Burbank airport was scheduled to land at 18:55 but after a bumpy attempt at touching down the landing was abandoned. The captain told us the winds were just too strong.

As we circled back over the city, we could see the eerie burning of what we suspect is the Hollywood Hills fire that sparked up just a few hours ago.

AccuWeather, a commercial weather forecasting service, estimates the California wildfire caused between $52bn (£42bn) and $57bn (£46bn) in damage. The private weather forecaster also warned the economic losses could increase.

"Should a large number of additional structures be burned in the coming days, it may become the worst wildfire in modern California history based on the number of structures burned and economic loss," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.

The fires have so far killed at least five people and destroyed a large number of buildings including some of the most valuable real estate in the US.

On top of the material damage, AccuWeather says there will be a significant economic hit from business interruptions, job losses and long-term medical costs from widespread exposure to smoke.