More people told to leave homes as wildfires continue to spread across LA

Aircrafts have been dropping water onto the fires in order to try and extinguish them as firefighters tackle the blaze on foot.

Almost 180,000 residents have now been told to leave thier homes as wildfires continue to engulf the Los Angeles area of California in the United States.

Fire chiefs say the blazes are hard to control as strong winds and dry weather conditions fan the flames and spread embers across the city.

The fire service are prioritising getting people to safety as the biggest blazes are largely uncontained.

But three fires, including one on famous street Sunset Boulevard, has been contained, meaning it has being successfully stopped from spreading any further.

However, the Hollywood landmark has been left in ruins and more than a thousand buildings have been completely destroyed.

Twenty people have been arrested after they began stealing belongings from empty properties in the evacuated neighbourhoods, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

A map shows where the current fires are around the city of Los Angeles, which is in southern California.

'Extreme fire weather'

It is thought the first fire broke out in a back garden on Tuesday morning, and fanned by fast winds and dry conditions, it spread quickly through the foothills of the Pacific Palisades, an area where many celebrities have their homes.

Around 5,300 structures have now been destroyed in this area, which is the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles.

Another 5,000 structures have been destroyed in the Eaton fire just outside the city.

Kristin Crowley, fire chief at the Los Angeles Fire Department, described conditions as "extremely challenging" due to "extreme fire weather".

Ten people have died as a result of the wildfires and others are injured.

There is a hope that the weather will change enough in the coming days, to help the firefighter's efforts tackle some of the blazes.

But BBC weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas says there is no rain forecast in the area for at least the next week.

"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, the state of California is particularly vulnerable.

Fire season in southern California is generally thought to stretch from May to October - but the state's governor, Gavin Newsom, has pointed out earlier that blazes had become a perennial issue. "There's no fire season," he said. "It's fire year."

Thousands of homes have been destroyed, with residents staying in temporary accommodation.

Current US president Joe Biden has said the cost of the damage, expected to be above $8bn (£6.5bn), will be covered by the federal government.

"My administration will do everything it can to support the response," the president said.

Current US vice-president, Kamala Harris, who is from California, said more funding was available for the fire services tackling the blazes.

She also said she was praying for "fellow Californians who have evacuated" and thanked "the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety".

Ms Harris' own home in the Brentwood area of the city had an evacuation order as it is also under threat from the fires.

The fire has also caused power cuts in LA, with up to 200,000 properties reported as being affected.

On Thursday, we learned a famous school, Palisades Charter High School, used as a LA filming location in at least 30 movies and TV shows, had reportedly burned down.

The building was empty following the evacuation of the area, and the school's website says it is closed - urging pupils and their families to avoid the area.

The Getty Villa Museum, a popular art museum which has a collection of artworks and artefacts - including paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, as well as Greek and Roman sculptures - has closed until next week, with fire currently burning on the grounds of the museum.

Sports fixtures are also being affected, with National Hockey League, the National Basketball League postponing games. The National Football League have said they are looking at the possibility of moving the match between the LA Rams and the Minnesota Vikings to Arizona.

The announcement of the Academy Awards nominations, which were due to take place next week, have been postponed by two days.

Why do wildfires happen?

Los Angeles is in the state of California on America's west coast, and although it can be warm all year round, temperatures during the daytime this week have been recorded as being around 20 degrees celsius.

However, long periods of dry weather and a lack of rain make fires more likely.

The weather doesn't necessarily need to be hot for a grass or wildfire to start. Any burning spark can be the cause of a blaze if conditions are dry.

High winds in Los Angeles have also seen the flames spread quickly.

The winds known as the 'Santa Ana winds' flow inland towards the coast. They can happen lots of times throughout the year.

But when combined with wildfires they can cause flames to spread at great speed.

The other weather factor causing the fires to spread is humidity – or how dry the air is.