‘Idiots’: Shock cause of major Los Angeles fire

The Palisades Fire that has devastated LA and killed at least eight people may have started in an infuriating way, according to new information.

Two of the raging fires that have devastated Los Angeles for five days remain out of control, as meteorologists warn of a looming “perfect storm” of dire weather conditions.

Now troubling reports are emerging about what caused the deadly blaze, which has killed 24 people so far and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

The Palisades Fire that has devastated Los Angeles may have reignited from scorch marks left by an earlier inferno that is believed to have been caused by fireworks set off on New Year’s Eve, according to a report.

Almost 200,000 people have been displaced and around 12,000 structures have been destroyed, along with 35,000 acres of land.

Multiple fires continue to burn in Los Angeles, California. Picture: AFP.

Despite the destruction, the number of looters caught picking through abandoned homes has soared, with one found dressed as a firefighter while robbing evacuated locals.

Firefighters battled Sunday to get on top of massive wildfires around LA as winds ramped up, pushing the blazes toward previously untouched neighbourhoods.

Despite heroic efforts, including precision water drops from aerial crews, the Palisades Fire continued to grow, pushing east towards the priceless collections of the Getty Center art museum and north to the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

A brief lull in the wind was rapidly giving way to gusts that forecasters warned would feed the blazes for days to come.

“Critical fire-weather conditions will unfortunately ramp up again today for southern California and last through at least early next week,” the National Weather Service said.

“This may lead to the spread of ongoing fires as well as the development of new ones.”

Read on for the latest updates from the Los Angeles fires.

Originally published as ‘Idiots’: Shock cause of major Los Angeles fire