On Thursday, January 9, several fires were still ravaging different areas of Los Angeles, California's largest metropolitan area. At least five people have died as a result of the fires, which are fuelled by strong winds. Between 1,000 and 1,500 buildings, mainly homes, were destroyed and over 130,000 residents were forced to evacuate. According to the authorities, the death toll could rise further.

However, the evacuation order issued on Wednesday for residents of the historic Hollywood district was lifted overnight for most of the affected areas, the Los Angeles Fire Department announced.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said air operations were dousing flames. She warned they still faced "erratic winds," though not like Tuesday evening, when aircraft had to be grounded and much of the destruction occurred.