Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday (Friday AEDT), 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 neighbourhoods to ash.
