Former Governor of California Jerry Brown has taken a swipe at US President-elect Donald Trump's criticism of Democrat officials' handling of the wildfires in Los Angeles.

Trump has been fiercely critical of California Democrats' handling of the emergency, accusing Governor of California Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass of "gross incompetence".

In a post on Truth Social today, Trump calls the wildfires "one of the worst catastrophes in the history of the country" and hits out again at the Democrats, saying "they can't just put out the fires, what's wrong with them?"

Newsom posted a letter on X, external which he says was sent to Trump on Friday, inviting him to "meet with the Americans affected by these fires" and "see the devastation first-hand".

Speaking to BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, Brown describes the "horror" of the Los Angeles wildfires and says "it brings home the danger that we live in".

Brown adds that though the region has come a long way, they are not "immune to catastrophe". Dealing with climate change requires trillions of dollars every year, which he says needs to be done.

In response to Trump's comments, he says "nature is nature, not even Donald Trump, who is quite clever in many ways, can repeal the laws of physics."

Soon "there will be a reduction, to absurdity, of the idea that climate change is a hoax", Brown adds.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

Image source, Getty Images

As we've been reporting, firefighters are bracing for another round of Santa Ana winds in Los Angeles as four fires are burning around the county.

Santa Ana winds can bring disruptive impacts to daily life in Los Angeles and parts of southern California, when coupled with wildfires they can escalate the situation rapidly, causing the fires to take hold and spread at great speed.

These strong and gusty east or north-easterly winds blow from inland towards the coast. They can occur numerous times throughout the year and have been known to happen on over 20 occasions during some years.

A Santa Ana event usually occurs during the cooler months, from late September to May and generally lasts just a couple of days, but on rare occasions can continue for up to a week.

You can read more about the Santa Ana winds and where they come from in our detailed explainer.

As we've been reporting, there are currently four wildfires burning around Los Angeles: the Eaton, Hurst, Kenneth and Palisade fires.

• The largest of the four is the Palisades Fire, which is 11% contained and covers 23,654 acres, according to Cal Fire, external - this was the first fire to erupt on Tuesday
• The second largest is the Eaton Fire, in the north of the city around Pasadena, covering 14,117 acres, which is 15% contained
• The Kenneth Fire, whichbroke out on Thursday on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, covers 1,052 acres and is 90% contained
• The smallest blaze is the Hurst Fire, covering 799 acres and currently 76% contained, which broke out on Tuesday night just north of San Fernando

Image source, Getty Images

Official updates from firefighters on the four blazes ripping through Los Angeles often describe a fire as "contained" by a particular percentage - but what does this mean?

In brief, containment describes the progress firefighters make in controlling the spread of the flames.

It's often listed as a percentage - for example the most recent CalFire update on the massive Palisades fire has it as 11% contained, with the much smaller Kenneth fire at 90%.

In the larger blaze's case, this means fire crews have established barriers around just 11% of the fire's perimeter.

Natural barriers include roads, rivers and oceans. Firefighters can also create barriers using equipment such as bulldozers, hoses and shovels to remove vegetation down to the bare soil, meaning there is nothing for the fire to burn.

A fire being 100% contained doesn't mean it has been extinguished, but rather that the flames have been fully encircled and the spread has been effectively stopped.

The Palisades fire started on Tuesday morning in Los Angeles and remains the largest of four active fires still burning.

In this 46-second video, footage shows the devastation caused by the blaze - which has left scorched earth, burnt out buildings and streets covered in ash and debris in its wake.

The footage showing the buildings before the fires and was filmed in March last year by lifestyle bloggers Simran and Ishaan. A Reuters cameraman retraces their steps to show the impact of the inferno.

Various health warnings are in place across Los Angeles because of the wildfires.

Here's the latest:

Water: Those living in and around the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles have been told not to drink tap water due to "the potential of fire-related contaminants that may have entered the water system".

Bottled water is being distributed at Westwood Recreation Centre and adjacent to the Brentwood Country Club.

Air blowers: All areas of Los Angeles County have been told not to use power air blowers, such as leaf blowers, to "limit the health impacts of fire, ash, and smoke" and "particular matter caused by the Critical Fire Events and Windstorm conditions", LA County's public health department says.

Oceans: The health department is also urging residents not to swim, surf or play in ocean waters from Surfrider Beach to Dockweiler State Beach at World Way, which covers a 20-mile stretch.

"People entering these waters could become ill," the warning says.

As efforts to contain the fires raging in California continue, some are working hard to rescue and treat animals on the streets.

Ladan Davia, who is the founder of a cat rescue organisation called Friends of Normie, says that with the help of the community, they have rescued hundreds of pets.

There are only two people working at the rescue and they were not prepared for a crisis of this scale, she says.

"The outpour of love and volunteers we've got to help these animals in need is unbelievable. We’ve never seen anything like this, people are stepping up to help," she says.

She adds that many of the animals they are treating have been injured while fleeing or have upper respiratory and eye infections from the poor air quality caused by the fires.

Image source, Getty Images

Let's bring you a bit more about reports of price gouging by landlords in Los Angeles, which we reported on earlier.

Speaking a little earlier on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Jason Oppenheim, a real estate agent in Los Angeles, says some landlords are breaking the law by raising rents more than 10% higher than pre-disaster prices.

"We're having landlords taking advantage of the situation," says Oppenheim, who stars in the reality show Selling Sunset about LA's luxury real estate market.

"There are thousands of people who are displaced...the hotels are overwhelmed," he says.

Oppenheim says he sent a client to a rental property which was listed for $13,000 (£11,000) a month. "(My client) offered $20,000 (£16,400) a month and he offered to pay six months upfront and the landlord said 'no, I want $23,000 (£19,000) a month'," he says.

"There are price gouging laws in California, they are just being ignored right now...it's illegal to take advantage of a natural disaster."

At least 20 people have been arrested for looting evacuated homes in Los Angeles, including two people who posed as firefighters, a Los Angeles police captain says.

"Looting is an issue, the number of arrests is continuously growing," Capt Mike Lorenz of the Los Angeles Police Department told a community meeting in the Palisades yesterday evening.

He adds: "We even made arrests of two individuals that were actually posing as firefighters coming in and out of houses".

Fox News reports that some LA residents are hiring private security to help protect their home from looters. Sean Ben, founder of the security company Nastec, tells the network his company is providing round-the-clock security in some neighbourhoods.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles county officials say president-elect Donald Trump has yet to accept multiple invites to see fire-hit areas. Officials hope a visit will speed up recovery efforts.

Newsom, a Democrat, posted a letter on X, external which he says was sent to Trump on Friday, inviting him to "meet with the Americans affected by these fires." and "see the devastation first-hand".

Separately, LA County supervisor Kathryn Barger also posted the letter, external she sent to Trump, saying he visited the area during his first term after another wildfire in 2018 which sped up the deployment of federal aid.

LA's mayor Karen Bass told reporters at a press conference that she had not yet heard from Trump.

Trump has openly criticised Newsom and local authorities on their response to the blazes. The president-elect has called for the California governor to resign over the fires, and writes on his Truth Social platform that the disaster is "one of the worst catastrophes in the history of our Country. They just can't put out the fires? What's wrong with them?".

Image source, Family of Victor Shaw

Officials in Los Angeles say at least 16 people have died since wildfires started on Tuesday. Officials fear the number is likely to rise.

Here's what we know about some of the victims, according to family members and media reports.

The Eaton Fire has killed 11 people. Among them are Victor Shaw, 66, who died trying to defend his home in Altadena, and Erliene Kelly, 83, who did not believe the fire would reach her home, her family says.

Also in Altadena, Anthony Mitchell, 67, and his adult son Justin - who was in his early 20s and had cerebral palsy - both died as they tried to escape the fires.

The PalisadesFire has killed five people including Randall Miod, 55, a long-time Malibu resident, and Annette Rossilli, 85, who reportedly refused to evacuate her home.

• What we know about the LA fires victims

People across Los Angeles have lost their homes, businesses and personal items - and many have already started trying to rebuild what they have lost.

Basic items like laundry detergent and rubber gloves are in short supply with some in Pasadena - where the Eaton fire continues to burn - asking for donations with hand-made signs on the roadside.

Nearby at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, displaced residents trawl through mountains of donations, looking for blankets, shoes, clothing and toilet paper.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, parts of the upscale area of Brentwood are under evacuation orders after becoming threatened by the spreading Palisades Fire.

Among those who are reported to have homes in the suburb are US Vice-President Kamala Harris, basketball star LeBron James, actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and rapper and producer Dr. Dre.

The Pasadena local fire chief, Chad Augustin, says residents should be prepared to leave the area if advised to do so.

California's neighbouring states have dispatched crews to help Los Angeles battle the four fires that continue to ravage the city.

Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington have sent firefighters to Los Angeles, according to a report from the BBC's US partner CBS.

The US's closest neighbouring countries, Canada and Mexico, have also dispatched crews.

More than 70 firefighters and disaster relief workers from Mexico's National Forestry Commission and Ministry of Defence were deployed to Los Angeles yesterday to help bolster efforts to contain the fires. That is in addition to another group of Mexican firefighters who reportedly arrived in Los Angeles on Friday.

Canada is preparing to send firefighters and specialist equipment to the area and coordinators say fire crews could arrive as soon as Monday.

"These reinforcements are crucial not only for containment efforts but also to provide much-needed relief to the brave firefighters on the frontlines," says the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in a post on X.

Approximately 14,000 personnel are currently battling the Palisades fire, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) says claims that fire hydrants in Pacific Palisades were broken before the fires are "misleading and false".

In a statement, the department says it "repaired every hydrant needing repairs as reported by LA Fire Department inspectors".

The LADWP says it had an updated list of all hydrants needing repairs ahead of the fire and that they were all operational.

It adds that about 20% of fire hydrants in the Palisades area - and mostly in the higher elevations - lost water pressure "due to unprecedented and extreme demand to fight the wildfire without aerial support". In those cases, water tankers were dispatched to help firefighters.

The update comes amid claims that firefighters had run out of water or that fire hydrants had low pressure, hampering their efforts to tackle the blazes.

Image source, Getty Images

People who have either lost their homes or are displaced by fire evacuation orders say price gouging incidents are preventing them from finding new accommodation.

Maya Lieberman, a 50-year-old stylist, tells AFP news agency that price gouging is "going haywire", and that she is unable to find anywhere to live.

"We put in an application at a house... that was listed at $17,000 (£14,000) a month, and they told us if we didn't pay $30,000, we weren't going to get it. They told me they have people ready to offer more and pay cash. It's absolutely insane," Lieberman says.

TV producer Alex Smith, who has been forced to leave his home, says he has friends who booked hotels outside Los Angeles but were asked to pay more upon arrival.

Officials in California warn that people engaging in price gouging, looting, and scamming are breaking the law and will be held accountable. "We've seen businesses and landlords … jack up the price," California Attorney General Rob Bonta told a news conference on Saturday.

"It's called price gouging. It is illegal. You cannot do it. It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines," he said, adding prices can only surge by 10% or less during disaster situations.

"This is California law [and] it's in place to protect those suffering from a tragedy," he said.

Image source, Reuters

About 35,000 homes and businesses have no electricity in Los Angeles, according to a site that tracks blackouts.

The latest estimates from Poweroutage.us shows that about 17,500 customers of electricity provider Southern California Edison are without power.

In addition, about 17,700 customers of Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and about 100 customers with Pasadena Water and Power have no electricity.

In an update a few hours ago, the LA Department of Water & Power says since the fires started on Tuesday, its teams have restored power to more than 350,000 customers, with more than 100 crews prioritising repairs on downed wires.

Max Matza & Christal Hayes
Reporting from Altadena, Caifornia

It all started on Tuesday night. The Santa Ana winds had been fierce much of the day.

Professional chef Daron Anderson was in his front yard just after 18:00 local time trying to secure items from flying away.

Across the street at 296 West Las Flores Drive, Rachel Gillespie was taking down Christmas decorations, concerned about her plastic icicles and patio furniture.

They exchanged worried glances. "This doesn't look good, does it?" she remarked.

Residents on this tight-knit Altadena street, where neighbours have watched each other start families and the children who once played in the streets grow up, have had their worlds upended, and say they now barely recognise the area.

"God, everything is gone," says Daron, his voice cracking.

But some things remain amidst the ruins. A scorched lemon tree sits in the lawn, some fruit still warm to the touch.

"If I can get a seed, we can replant one," he says, grabbing a handful.

"It's like a way you can start over."

• You can read our full story about Daron and his neighbours who lived on an Altadena street

Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist

Winds are picking up again around Los Angeles into early Sunday.

Santa Ana winds with north or north-easterly wind gusts up to 60-70mph (96-112kph) are expected over the high ground. Around the more prone coastal and valley areas, there will be gusts of 35-55mph (56-88kph).

By Sunday afternoon, an onshore wind - a switch in direction - will develop around coastal areas.

Another round of strong Santa Ana winds is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

While there is still a bit of uncertainty in the detail, there is concern that wind speeds could be higher than the last few days and possibly as strong as the initial Santa Ana wind event last Tuesday when the Palisades fire first started.

Beyond that, a significant break of the strong winds could be likely from Wednesday but long-range forecasts are hinting at yet another Santa Ana wind event by next weekend.

Image source, Getty Images

US media reports that privately-owned civilian drones are being flown in areas impacted by the fires and causing disruption to aircraft battling the flames.

More than 30 drones flying within the temporary flight restriction area of the Palisades fire have been detected over the past 24 hours, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Sheila Kelliher.

Officials note that it is illegal to fly drones in areas where there is a temporary flight restriction in place.

A large Super Scooper aircraft named Quebec 1 on loan from Canada was damaged and grounded last week after hitting an unauthorised drone near the Palisades fire. The aircraft sustained wing damage and remains grounded and out of service. There were no reported injuries.

If drones are detected near firefighting aircraft, it means operations have to be suspended, Kelliher says. "This disruption compromises structure defence and critical life saving efforts", she says.

"Please remember, when you fly we can’t, it truly puts us all in danger," she says.