Los Angeles, 10 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - At least 10 people have died as major wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area in the US state of California, the city's medical examiner said on Thursday evening.

"All cases are currently pending identification and legal next of kin notification," the coroner's office said in a statement.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden on Thursday said that the blazes burning through the Greater Los Angeles area were the most devastating in the history of the western US state.

"This is the most widespread devastating fire in California's history," said Biden. "360,000 people have been evacuated so far."

It was initially unknown how the fires got started. They were still out of control as of late on Thursday.

According to Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley, more than 5,300 homes have been destroyed in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood alone since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, around 4,000 to 5,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged in the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, including single-family and multi-family homes and commercial properties, said Anthony Marrone, fire chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

While two of the major fires were being contained on Thursday, the Kenneth Fire broke out in the West Hills and Hidden Hills area between Los Angeles and Ventura. California Governor Gavin Newsom said that an additional 900 firefighters would be dispatched to tackle that blaze. After several hours, the advance of the flames was reportedly contained.

The largest of the five fires currently raging in the Greater Los Angeles area, the Palisades Fire, on Thursday was burning over an area of around 8,000 hectares, the fire department reported. Only 6% of it was contained as of 9 pm (0500 GMT Friday).

Meanwhile, the Eaton Fire grew to more than 5,500 hectares. None of it was contained as of 9 pm.

It has hardly rained at all for at least eight months in southern California. Trees and shrubs have dried up. Added to this are the seasonally typical strong Santa Ana winds, which drive the flames rapidly.

According to a preliminary estimate by the private US weather service AccuWeather, which also measures the effects of severe weather, the total damage and economic losses of the fires could be between $135 billion and $150 billion.

"These fast-moving, wind-driven infernos have created one of the costliest wildfire disasters in modern U.S. history," AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.

"Hurricane-force winds sent flames ripping through neighborhoods filled with multi-million-dollar homes. The devastation left behind is heartbreaking and the economic toll is staggering."

The estimate includes, among other things, the damage and destruction of thousands of homes and other buildings, damage to infrastructure and the long-term costs of reconstruction, the service said. Since the fires are not yet under control, the amount of damage could still increase.

According to media reports, around 10,000 buildings have been destroyed in the fires so far.

Photo: MIA archive