What’s happening in Los Angeles, and what caused the wildfires? happymamay

Out of control wildfires are sweeping through parts of Los Angeles, killing at least five people, burning hundreds of buildings and forcing more than 130,000 people to flee their homes in America’s second-largest city.

Despite the efforts of firefighters, the largest fires remain completely out of control, with weather conditions and the underlying impact of climate change expected to continue fanning the flames for days to come.

More than 137,000 people have been forced to leave their homes – many simply carrying what possessions they can.

Police say at least five people died, and their bodies were found near the Eaton Fire, but their cause of death is not yet known.

Like the larger Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire remains completely out of control. Meanwhile, a new Sunset Fire threatens the famous Hollywood Hills area.

More than 1,000 structures are known to have been destroyed – including homes, schools and businesses on the famous Sunset Boulevard. The fire ecologist told the BBC that “entire neighborhoods…were wiped out.”

Celebrities who lost their homes include Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globe Awards just days ago, and Paris Hilton.

There is a glimmer of hope for firefighters, as the fire weather forecast for Southern California has been downgraded from “extremely critical” to “critical.”

But BBC meteorologist Sarah Keith Lucas says there is no forecast for rain in the region for at least the next week, meaning conditions are still ripe for fires to break out.

Mass disruptions due to traffic build-up were reported. A number of schools and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) were forced to close.

A political row erupted over the city’s preparedness after it emerged that some firefighters’ hoses had run dry – an issue that was exploited by US President-elect Donald Trump.

There are at least five fires burning in the broader area, according to California fire officials early Thursday:

• Barriers: The first fire broke out on Tuesday and the largest fire in the region, which may become the most destructive fire in the history of the state. Much of the land has burned, covering more than 17,200 acres, including the upscale neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.
• Eaton: It struck the northern part of Los Angeles, igniting cities like Altadena. It is the second-largest fire in the region, having destroyed about 10,600 acres
• Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, the fire began burning Tuesday night and has spread to 855 acres, though firefighters have had some success in containing it.
• Lydia: It erupted Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles and spread to cover about 350 acres. Authorities say it is 40% contained.
• sunset: It erupted Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, spreading to about 20 acres in less than an hour. It now covers about 43 acres

earlier Woodley and Olivas The fires have now been contained, according to local fire authorities.

Officials cited high winds and drought in the area, making the plants extremely dry and easy to burn.

The potential impact of climate change has also been blamed – although the exact circumstances remain unclear.

About 95% of the region’s wildfires are started by humans, according to David Acuna, a battalion chief with the California Fire Service, though officials have not yet said how they believe the current fires started.

An important factor cited in the spread of the fires is Santa Ana winds, which blow inland toward the coast. At speeds exceeding 60 mph (97 km/h), they are believed to have fueled the flames.

Although strong winds and lack of rain are the cause of the fires, experts say climate change is changing background conditions and increasing the likelihood of such fires.

US government research is unequivocal in linking climate change to the largest and most dangerous wildfires in the western United States.

“Climate change, including increasing heat, extended drought, and parched weather, has been a major driver in the increased risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

After an extremely hot summer and little rain in recent months, California is particularly vulnerable.

Southern California’s fire season is generally believed to run from May to October, but the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, previously indicated that fires were becoming a permanent problem. “There is no fire season,” he said. “It is the year of hell.”

Speaking to the BBC, Acuna said the Palisades fire represented only the third occasion in the past 30 years that a major fire had broken out in January.