Death toll in LA fires rise sharply as conditions set to worsen

The number of people killed in LA’s fires has risen sharply, with authorities warning the death toll will climb higher in the coming days.

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.

At least 16 people have been killed, with concerns the true death toll will be much higher as entire communities are left decimated.

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 Death toll in LA fires rise sharply as conditions set to worsen