The worst wildfires in the history of Los Angeles are burning through America’s second city.

Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate as the deadly flames rip through wealthy neighbourhoods and into the Hollywood Hills.

Here is everything we know about the latest California wildfires.

How many fires are there?

There are at least six fires currently burning in the Los Angeles area. The most significant ones are:

• Palisades
• Eaton
• Hurst
• Woodley
• Olivas
• Sunset

How many people have died?

As of Wednesday night, five people are known to have been killed in the fires, though their precise cause of death is not certain.

How many properties are affected?

It is estimated that more than 15,000 properties are at serious risk of being destroyed.

When did the fires start?

The first fire to start was the Palisades blaze, which began on Tuesday morning at about 10.30am. The Hurst and Eaton fires started later the same day, while the Woodley fire began on Wednesday morning.

By Wednesday night, there were two more fires: Olivas and Sunset, the latter burning in the Hollywood Hills.