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Wildfires are worst in Los Angeles history

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Nearly 28,000 acres burned, thousands of structures

destroyed

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Five dead, 180,000 evacuated, 200,000 under warnings

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Firefighting efforts aided by diminished winds, aerial

support

By Jackie Luna and Maria Alejandra Cardona

LOS ANGELES, Jan 9 (Reuters) -

Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and

west were still burning uncontained on Thursday, but a brief

respite from the fierce winds that have fanned the flames for

two days allowed crews to slow their explosive spread.

The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the

city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near

Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles

history, consuming nearly 28,000 acres (11,330 hectares) so far

- an area exceeding the size of Disney World - and turning

entire neighborhoods to ash.

At least five people have been killed, thousands of

structures have been incinerated and nearly 180,000 people have

been ordered to evacuate their homes, with another 200,000 under

evacuation warnings, officials said.

The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles Sheriff Robert

Luna told a press conference on Thursday morning.

The Eaton Fire's growth has been significantly stopped, Los

Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said, though it

remains 0% contained. While still strong, winds have diminished

since the 100-mile-per-hour (160-kph) gusts seen earlier in the

week, permitting crucial aerial support for crews on the ground.

"We have a much better posture than we did on Tuesday and

Wednesday," said Marrone.

But officials warned that the wind was forecast was due to

intensify again in the evening, with gusts of up to 60 mph (96.5

kph). Kristin Crowley, chief of the Los Angeles City Fire

Department, said residents should be prepared to evacuate if

ordered.

In Pacific Palisades, an upscale and picturesque enclave

where many celebrities reside, once-palatial homes stood in

ruins, while downed power lines and abandoned cars littered the

roadways. The smell of heavy smoke filled the air, and residents

wearing masks rode bicycles, hoping to catch a glimpse of their

damaged houses.

"It is safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the

most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los

Angeles," Crowley said.

Firefighting crews managed to beat back a third blaze, known

as the Sunset Fire, which had forced mandatory evacuations in

Hollywood and Hollywood Hills - including famous show-business

locations such as the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk

of Fame - late on Wednesday.

The fire was fully contained, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

said on social media around midday on Thursday. No buildings

were lost in the area, a city fire department spokeswoman said,

and the evacuation order was lifted.

It was one of at least five separate wildfires burning in

Los Angeles County on Thursday as powerful winds spread flames

across parched ground that has seen no rain for months. Bass

described it as a "perfect storm" of dangerous conditions.

The mayor, who was on an official trip to Ghana when the

first fires broke out, has faced some criticism over whether the

city was adequately prepared. She told reporters on Thursday

that her focus right now was on protecting people and that the

city would evaluate the response's effectiveness after the

crisis is contained.

"We have to save lives, and we have to save homes," she

said.

U.S. President Joe Biden was set to meet with top

administration officials in the afternoon to discuss the federal

response, the White House said.

VISIBLE FROM SPACE

The two biggest conflagrations - the Palisades and Eaton

fires - formed a pincer around the city so enormous that it was

visible from space.

The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those

consumed by flames, which tore through some of the world's most

lavish real estate.

"We are heartbroken of course, but with the love of children

and friends we will get through this," said film star Billy

Crystal and his wife Janice, announcing that the Pacific

Palisades home where they had lived since 1979 had been

destroyed.

Media personality Paris Hilton said she was "heartbroken

beyond words" after watching her beachfront house in Malibu

"burn to the ground on live TV."

The fires struck at an especially vulnerable time for

Southern California, which has not seen any significant rainfall

for months. Then came the powerful Santa Ana winds, bringing dry

desert air from the east toward the coastal mountains, fanning

wildfires while blowing over the hilltops and down through the

canyons.

The National Weather Service extended Red Flag warnings -

issued when the risk for fire is high due to low humidity, high

winds and warm temperatures - for Los Angeles and Ventura

counties through 6 p.m. (2300 GMT) on Friday.

Water shortages caused some hydrants to run dry in affluent

Pacific Palisades, wedged between Malibu and Santa Monica,

officials said on Wednesday.

'SOMETHING OUT OF A MOVIE'

Some residents ventured back to areas the fire had already

swept through, where brick chimneys were left looming over

charred waste and burnt-out vehicles. The remnants of a tattered

and scorched American flag flapped from a pole.

"I had just come from my family home where my mother lives

that was burned to a crisp ... And then I came up to my home and

- same thing. It's completely dust," said Oliver Allnatt, 36,

wearing ski goggles and a filtered face mask as he took pictures

of the ruins. "Basically just a chimney stack and a pile of ash.

I mean, it's something out of a movie."

Thousands of Angelenos fleeing the flames sought refuge in

temporary shelters. Foad Farid came in the gym of the Westwood

Recreation Center with nothing but his car and his phone.

Neighbors dropped off blankets, clothing, water, pizza and pet

food.

Jeff Harris arrived towing his Feisty Fish Poke food truck

and began serving meals. "I'm just here to help," he said.

Kevin Williams, at an evacuation center in Pasadena, said he

knew it was time to run when gas canisters at his neighbors'

homes began exploding under the heat.

"The wind whipped up, the flames were up about 30 or 40 feet

high, and you hear 'pop, pop, pop.' It sounded like a war zone."

The scale and spread of the blazes stretched exhausted

firefighting crews beyond their capacity.

Firefighters from half a dozen other U.S. states were being

rushed to California, while an additional 250 engine companies

with 1,000 personnel were being moved from Northern California

to Southern California.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country had

sent water bombers to Southern California to help, and that 250

Canadian firefighters were ready to deploy. The Canadian Armed

Forces were standing by to move personnel and equipment.

Canada has experienced severe wildfires in recent years,

driven by drought and extremely hot conditions that experts say

will continue to worsen due to climate change.

"To our American neighbours: Canada's here to help,"

Trudeau said.