LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office has confirmed that the death toll from ongoing wildfires in the area has increased to 16.
The fatalities include five from the Palisades Fire and 11 from the Eaton Fire, with investigations still underway.
Previously, 11 deaths were confirmed, but officials anticipate the number will rise as search efforts continue in devastated neighbourhoods.
Authorities have set up a centre for reporting missing persons.
Firefighters are working tirelessly to contain the wildfires before strong winds potentially push the flames toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California, Los Angeles.
New evacuation warnings have left residents anxious.
Mandeville Canyon, home to celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a critical battlefront where helicopters are dumping water to combat the fire descending the hillside.
"We need to be aggressive out there,” said CalFire Operations Chief Christian Litz, highlighting the focus on the Palisades Fire near the UCLA campus.
County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath described the situation as "another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak, and even more Angelenos evacuated due to the northeast expansion of the Palisades Fire."
The National Weather Service has warned that Santa Ana winds could return, exacerbating the fires that have ravaged neighbourhoods around the city, which has seen no significant rain for over eight months.
The fire threatens to cross Interstate 405 into populated areas of the Hollywood Hills and San Fernando Valley.
"We have people driving up and around trying to get in just to look. Stay away,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, as he announced that systematic searches with cadaver dogs are ongoing, and a family assistance centre is being set up in Pasadena.
The fires have devastated about 56 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco.
Tens of thousands remain under evacuation orders, with additional evacuations following a flare-up on the Palisades Fire's eastern side.
Since the fires started on Tuesday north of downtown LA, over 12,000 structures have been destroyed.
No cause has been identified for the largest fires, and they are projected to become the costliest in US history, with damages estimated between $135bil and $150bil by AccuWeather.
Volunteers have flocked to donation centres, with some being turned away due to overwhelming numbers.
At Santa Anita Park and a YMCA in Koreatown, donations of necessities are being collected for those who lost their homes.
"Everything is gone,” said Altadena resident Jose Luis Godinez, who lost three homes occupied by more than a dozen family members. "All my family lived in those three houses and now we have nothing.”
Officials have cautioned residents against returning to sift through debris, warning of toxic substances in the ash.
"If you’re kicking that stuff up, you’re breathing it in,” said Chris Thomas, a spokesman for the unified incident command at the Palisades Fire. "All of that stuff is toxic.”
Residents will be allowed back with protective gear once damage assessments are complete.
Criticism of leadership and resource allocation has emerged, with investigations underway.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered an inquiry into why a reservoir was out of service and hydrants were dry.
"When a firefighter comes up to a hydrant, we expect there’s going to be water,” said Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, criticising city leadership for insufficient firefighting resources and water supply.
For the first time, progress was made on the Eaton Fire, with most evacuation orders lifted.
LA Mayor Karen Bass faces a major leadership challenge as the city grapples with its worst crisis in decades. - AP
