At least two people have died in a wildfire in Los Angeles, officials have said, with firefighters battling five blazes across California.
Los Angeles County fire chief Anthony Marrone said two people have been killed in the Eaton fire, one of four growing blazes in the area.
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All four of the Los Angeles blazes – dubbed the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst and Woodley fires respectively – are at zero percent containment, according to the state’s fire department website Cal Fire.
The county’s sheriff also said around 70,000 people across the city are under evacuation orders, and that two people have been arrested for looting.
James McDonnell, Los Angeles’ chief of police, told reporters: “This is a tragic time in our history here in Los Angeles.
“It’s critical that at these times we be patient, that we come together, that we focus on saving lives and to be able to the very best job we can.”
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A fifth wildfire has also broken out in Riverside near the border with Nevada, called the Tyler fire, and is at 50% containment.
It comes after the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.
