Five people were killed, more than 1,000 structures destroyed and more than 130,000 residents were under evacuation orders in California, as fast-moving wildfires burned around Los Angeles, encircling the city.

On Tuesday, hurricane-force winds blew embers through the air, igniting block after block, and destroying an area of land about 42 sq miles (108 sq km) in size. By Wednesday night, six fires were burning from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, most of them uncontrolled.

Satellite images showed the scale of the destruction from the Pacific Palisades fire, which burned more than 15,000 acres and left the coastline along the famous Malibu neighbourhood scorched black and buildings along the water burned to the ground.