The Los Angeles wildfires have reduced thousands of structures to ash and rubble and forced more than 100,000 people from their homes.

Fanned by Santa Ana winds, the fire started on Tuesday, January 7, and quickly spread across an area the size of San Francisco. Of the four major blazes, the one in the high-elevation Pacific Palisades region has been the most destructive so far. A fire department official told The Associated Press that the wildfires have killed at least 11 people and the death toll is expected to rise in the Southern California city.

Here’s an interactive guide to what’s happening in Los Angeles:

Flare from the wind. Tear through LA neighborhoods With residents of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Pasadena describing the fire as “nothing they’ve seen before.”

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire), nearly 36,000 acres of wildfires have burned as of January 11. The Palisades fire burned 21 acres, the Eaton fire burned more than 14 acres, the Kent fire burned 1,000 acres and the Hearst fire burned 700 acres.

Santa Ana winds

strong gusts of ‘Santa Ana’ windsWith the force of a hurricane, California wildfires ignited. Winds blow from the desert interior south of the city toward the coast, contrary to the usual flow of moist air from the Pacific Ocean.

As firefighters battled the blaze, winds made their job even more difficult. The danger of Santa Ana winds comes with their ability to dry out vegetation and trigger high humidity levels. These winds are also called ‘Satanic winds’.

Strong winds and dry conditions in southern areas California Set the stage for more wildfires. LA’s National Weather Service predicts that wind speeds may increase from January 11 to 12. The Met Office said fire weather watches could be upgraded to red flag warnings.

Desperation grips Los Angeles.

Lack of water and dry fire hydrants did not help the flaming situation. LA’s ‘apocalyptic’ fire response has sparked anger and resentment among residents, questioning the timing of National Guard troop arrivals, water shortages, and dry or ‘low-pressure’ hydrants. “Our city has completely let us down,” one resident told AFP.

The wildfires in California have left many residents heartbroken. Leaving them in despair When they saw their houses destroyed. A resident of Pacific Palisades, who has lived there for 31 years, told the AP that “the little legacies are the ones that really hurt the most”. Another Altadena resident expressed the “devastating” loss of the world her family had built for themselves.

Homes of celebrities were also lost.

Hollywood celebrities are among those who lost their homes in the massive wildfires in LA, California. Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Paris Hilton, Mandy Moore and Billy Crystal all suffered the loss of their homes in the blaze.

As of January 11, the wildfires had destroyed 10,000 buildings, forced 180,000 from their homes, claimed 11 lives, and caused $150 billion in damage. So far, the Palisades fire has burned 86 square kilometers, the Eaton fire 56 square kilometers (sq km), the Kenneth fire 4 square kilometres, the Hearst fire 3 square kilometres, and the Lydia fire 1.6 square kilometres. .

(with input from agencies).