At least five dead as Southern California wildfires continue to rage

Uncontained wildfires continued burning Wednesday morning as hundreds of additional firefighters from around the state joined the some 1,400 personnel already on the ground. Dry air and powerful winds this week fueled the devastating wildfires, according to the National Weather Service.

At least five people died in the ongoing wildfires, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna told KABC Wednesday. 

Where are the fires burning? At least three fires were involved Wednesday morning:

• A fire in the Pacific Palisades on Wednesday engulfed nearly 16,000 acres by Wednesday evening, according to CNN. That fire flared up Tuesday morning near Malibu west of Los Angeles. It has since destroyed more than 1,000 structures, making it the most destructive ever in Los Angeles County. 

• The Eaton Fire broke out Tuesday evening near the city of Pasadena and grew to more than 2,200 acres by Wednesday morning.

• The Hurst Fire ignited Tuesday night north of San Fernando and grew to 500 acres, according to Cal Fire.

How many people have been forced to evacuate? Officials in Malibu, Altadena, Pasadena, Sylmar, and other Los Angeles-area neighborhoods ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Several major roadways had significant traffic surges Tuesday as residents tried to leave, which prompted some people to leave their vehicles. As of early Wednesday, officials had reported a few injuries but no fatalities.

Los Angeles authorities have opened shelters for residents fleeing the fires, said Mayor Karen Bass. The fires have destroyed or are threatening thousands of homes throughout the region, she said. Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday approved a grant to financially help state and local officials battle the flames. 

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report about another wildfire in November that destroyed more than 130 buildings.