People living in the heart of Hollywood were ordered to evacuate when a new fire broke out just a few hundred yards from Hollywood Boulevard. At least five people have died in the fires that continue to rage in Los Angeles, AFP reports.
The fast-spreading flames, fanned by powerful winds, leveled 1,500 structures, many of them multimillion-dollar homes. Estimates suggest the tragedy could cause more than $50 billion in damage.
Over 100,000 people have been forced to flee at least five separate fires, including in the heart of historic Hollywood.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marone said his teams are struggling with the scale and speed of the growing disasters.
"We're doing the best we can. But no, in Los Angeles County we don't have enough fire personnel between all the departments to handle this," he said.
Millions of Los Angeles residents watched in horror as a series of fires broke out around the second largest city in the US, causing panic and fear.
A fire in the Hollywood Hills on January 8 prompted an evacuation order on a number of streets in the historic district. Helicopters were used to extinguish the fire.
The sudden outbreak of the fire created congestion on the streets of Hollywood, hampering efforts by people living in the area to leave it.
A separate 10,600-acre (4,300-hectare) fire burned in the Altadena area, north of the city, where flames swept through suburban streets. | BGNES
