Image source, ABC7/LA County

Next to speak is Robert Fenton from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).

He discusses the support being offered to those impacted, including Fema's assistance programme, which has already received 16,000 applications this morning.

Fenton urges anyone with insurance to contact their provider first, as the agency will need that information to process their applications.

He adds that Fema is also offering other forms of help, such as one-time payments to cover hotel costs for those impacted.

Image source, ABC7/LA County

We've just been hearing from chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), who repeats that 11 people have been killed so far and 13 others are missing.

James McDonnell says that uncovering the cause of fires is critical and a task force has been set up involving several local and national agencies to determine if the separate blazes are linked.

The LAPD has ramped up public and covert patrols in areas where properties are empty in order to prevent looting, he says.

McDonnell reiterates that a strict curfew runs from 18:00 local time (02:00 GMT) to 06:00. He adds that five people were arrested last night in the Palisades area.

Image source, ABC7/LA County

LA's fire chief Kristin Crowley is also speaking. She says yesterday evening there was a "significant flare up on the north-eastern boundary" of the Palisades Fire.

Crowley says resources were drafted in from the San Fernando Valley with a "relentless air attack" and they have contained more of it. The fire is now at 22,660 acres, she confirms.

The Hurst Fire has spread to nearly 800 acres and is 76% contained, with two structures damaged. The Sunset Fire is "halted and stopped at 42 acres", Crowley tells reporters.

Over the next few days "we will be facing another critical weather event", with high winds forecast, Crowley says.

But the fire chief adds they are prepared to use "every single resource" to keep the city and its residents safe.

Image source, ABC7/LA County

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has just finished speaking at a second media briefing.

She says "for all Angelinos, we are hurting, grieving, still in shock and angry".

When the fires are out, Bass says city authorities will look into what worked and "especially what did not".

Right now, their most important obligation is to "get through this crisis", she adds. "When the fire is out, there will be time for us to evaluate."

There will be "zero tolerance for crime", Bass tells reporters as she warns people against looting and breaking into properties.

"You will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Image source, EPA

The combination of wild and urban terrain around Los Angeles could mean it will be weeks before firefighters can fully extinguish the blazes, according to a wildfire expert.

"This is a new type of fire that we've been seeing," says Lindon Pronto, senior wildfire management expert at the European Forest Institute, who started his career as a firefighter with the US Forest Service.

Similar incidents been happening across Europe as well in recent years, he tells the BBC, describing them as "very large fires being blown directly into very urban areas, with very catastrophic losses".

Pronto says that in contrast to a typical urban fire, these wildland blazes move fast and "will take many days, if not weeks" to extinguish them completely.

We've just had the latest update on the wildfires from officials in Los Angeles.

Here's what we heard:

• Search and rescue efforts are beginning today, with cadaver dogs being used to look for "remains and reunite families", says Sheriff Robert Luna
• The number of confirmed deaths remains at 11 and there are 13 people missing
• Dozens of arrests have been made near the fires. The sheriff warned anyone breaking the curfew will be arrested and could face jail
• A faulty emergency alert system is in the process of being fixed, with the director of emergency management calling the errors "unacceptable"
• More than 7,000 structures have been destroyedby the Eaton Fire
• The largest fire in the Palisades grew by 1,000 acres overnight, destroying about 5,300 structures
• Approximately 153,000 people have now been evacuated across the county
• Officials have defended their response to the incident, saying it was not a lack of preparation or decision-making that led to this "catastrophe", but rather "a natural disaster"
• Officials also warned people the fires are still burning and the area remains dangerous

Stay with us for more updates as LA battles another day of wildfires.

After a media conference which largely focused on specific practical details for people in the area, the Q&A session has been more about local officials defending their response.

Luna points out police are still responding to unrelated emergency calls, adding: "Man, I'm telling you, I am so proud."

He says lots of emergency workers haven't had any time off, including some who have lost their homes in the fire. Luna repeats that the fires are "unprecedented".

LA fire chief Anthony Marrone tells one journalist firefighters are working extra shifts and big efforts have gone into drafting in help from other states and neighbouring countries, specifically Mexico and Canada.

He goes on to say that he made the decision to "hold back the night shift" to respond to the developing disaster on Tuesday.

"It wasn't for a lack of preparation or decision-making that resulted in this catastrophe. It was a natural disaster," Marrone adds.

A reporter asks about the ongoing investigations into the cause of the fires, specifically ignition sources.

Sheriff Robert Luna says "it is still absolutely an extremely active and fluid investigation".

He adds that detectives are working on investigating multiple fires in collaboration with federal agencies, including the FBI.

"Any and every clue is important," he says, and asks "anybody out there" with information to come forward.

But Luna clarifies that there is not currently any evidence that any fires were started deliberately.

We're now hearing from LA County supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who tells the briefing that a number of new shelters have been opened for people who have had to leave their homes.

She says the area is experiencing a serious health emergency and sets out a number of new restrictions - including on swimming at parts of the coast due to dangerous contamination from ash.

Luna goes on to confirm the authorities have started to use a search and rescue taskforce.

He says 40 members of a specialist team - including cadaver dogs to search for the bodies of more victims - will work jointly with other emergency services.

Luna adds they have confirmed 11 deaths - this number has not changed from the last update yesterday.

Eight people have died in the Eaton Fire, while the remaining three were killed in the Palisades Fire.

There are reports of 13 missing individuals so far, he says, but they are not sure if they are related to the fires.

Family assistance centres are open to provide information to people looking for people they believe are missing, Luna says.

Sheriff Robert Luna says 400 California National Guard troops are deployed around the region to bolster police numbers.

The soldiers are assisting with road closures and "critical infrastructure missions", the senior officer says.

So far, Luna says, there have been 22 arrests in the vicinity of three fires in the county.

Some were arrested over being in areas of danger - including two who violated the evening curfew. Others were detained for burglary, looting, trespassing and possession of a firearm, he adds.

Luna repeats his warning that people who violate the curfew may spend time in jail.

More from Luna, who asks that "all individuals comply with the curfew" that will be in place again overnight.

The LA County sheriff warns people to "stay clear" from areas in affected zones, unless they are authorised personnel or emergency responders.

"We have people driving up and around trying to get in just to look. Stay away."

Anyone who breaks the curfew will be arrested and could face a fine of $1,000 (£818), or even given prison time, he adds.

Robert Luna, the sheriff for Los Angeles County, tells the media briefing that 700 officers are working around the clock responding to the fires on his patch.

Luna says the overall number of people evacuated in the county is now 153,000, with 57,000 structures still at risk. He adds that 166,000 residents are under evacuation warnings.

He says the majority of tragedies and miraculous rescues over recent days have involved people who did not follow the evacuation orders.

Luna strongly advises people to make preparations in case they are ordered to leave at short notice.

Next up is Todd Hopkins, from the Unified IC Cal Fire Incident Management Team.

The Palisade Fire is now at 21,000 acres, he says, and 11% contained.

Ground crews and aerial assets worked in the Mandeville Canyon area overnight, Hopkins says, to create containment lines and protect structures.

They had around 100 engines in the area, six night-flying helicopters were used, but the area it covers grew by 1,000 acres overnight, he adds.

Early estimates indicate around 5,300 structures have been destroyed, he says.

Hopkins notes that this doesn't just mean homes, it can include sheds and outbuildings, for example.

But, 426 homes have been destroyed - and they still have over 105,000 citizens that have been evacuated, Hopkins says.

Now we're hearing from fire chief Anthony Marrone.

He says the Eaton Fire is now over 14,000 acres wide and only 15% contained. Over 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed in that blaze.

Marrone adds that more than 2,800 personnel are on the ground battling the blaze.

Moderate and some strong winds will impact the county in the coming days, he warns - meaning the threat level for fire remains high until Wednesday.

We begin by hearing an update on the emergency alert system, which has sent incorrect messages on several occasions in recent days.

Kevin McGowan, LA's director of emergency management, says the "erroneous alert" that went out the first time on Thursday "was indeed correctly targeted to the right recipients".

He says they believe the problem occurred in the software system that "accidentally blasted this alert county wide", instead of the those who were supposed to receive it.

On the echo alerts that continued to go out on Friday, he says they have made the determination these happened because mobile phone towers came back online, after being knocked offline.

McGowan says it has been "frustrating" and "unacceptable, and the public is in the most need of accurate information".

He says they are moving forward rapidly to fix it.

Police, fire chiefs and government officials from Los Angeles are due give an update on the wildfires shortly.

We will provide text updates here, or you can follow the press conference by clicking on Watch Live at the top of the page.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has issued new evacuation orders near the Palisades Fire.

People are now ordered to leave the area bordered by the Pacific Coast Highway to the south, Encino Reservoir to the north, the 405 Freeway to the east and Mandeville to the west.

There is an "immediate threat to life" in this area, it adds.

The latest update from California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection shows firefighters are making progress in containing the two biggest blazes.

The Palisades Fire, which is the largest at more than 21,000 acres, is now 11% contained - up from 8% earlier.

Eaton is now on 15%, as opposed to the 3% yesterday. It currently covers over 14,000 acres of land in Los Angeles.

The nearly 400-acre Lidia Fire is fully contained, while the Kenneth and Hurst Fires are both above 75%. They currently cover around 1,000 and 800 acres respectively.

The newest Archer Fire, which broke out yesterday, is 0% contained as it stands. But this is by far the smallest fire currently burning - estimated at 19 acres by comparison.

Containment is the progress firefighters make in controlling the spread of the flames, rather than the amount of the fire that has been extinguished.

For context about what wildfire containment means, read our post earlier.

Dawn is breaking in LA, but for those battling the spread of the wildfires night did not bring an end to their toil.

We've just received these pictures of firefighters in Malibu, lit bright orange by the light given off by the huge Palisades Fire:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images