Human remains found as first responders comb through rubble from worst firestorm in Los Angeles' history
The infernos' full-blown assault from once-hurricane-force winds ignited five major fires across the region, scorching over 29,000 acres of land. More than 293,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate as the region's relentless enemy continues to consume everything in its path.
FOX 11 Los Angeles joins Fox Weather with the latest coverage regarding the wildfires in Southern California
Fox 11 shares more information regarding evacuations and coverage of the new fire in Southern California named the Kenneth fire.
LOS ANGELES – The apocalyptic and deadly wildfires ravaging Southern California remained extremely volatile Thursday as new wildfires ignited and authorities were tasked with combing through the debris of at least 10,000 destroyed structures.
The largest of the fires were Palisades and Eaton, which were responsible for most of the deaths and destruction.
According to fire officials, the Palisades Fire consumed more than 19,000 acres and the Eaton Fire was estimated to have destroyed at least 13,000 acres.
During the initial hours of the fire fight, aerial resources were mostly grounded as powerful Santa Ana winds made it dangerous for pilots to make drops of retardant on hot spots.
Thousands of firefighters from across California are working to contain the blazes, but the combination of drought conditions and fire weather have proven to be too much to fight against.
BEFORE AND AFTER IMAGES SHOW THE EXTENT OF WILDFIRE DAMAGE AROUND LOS ANGELES
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reports five deaths have been attributed to the disaster but pubically admits this number is an undercount as human remains have been found among the debris.
"We're working with our coroner's office to figure out those numbers, so be patient with us when you ask us about death toll numbers right now," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. "Frankly, we don't know yet. We eventually will."
The FBI said in a statement the agency stands ready to assist if requested but so far is not involved in the investigation or the recovery of the missing.
The sheriff compared the disaster to an atomic bomb blast but pledged the community will find a away to recover.
The economic toll of these fires is staggering. Initial estimates place the damage costs at around $52 billion, making the disaster one of the costliest events in U.S. history.
Charred remains of homes seen in Pacific Palisades after deadly California wildfires
FOX Weather's Robert Ray recorded this video of the aftermath of the Palisades Fire that ripped through parts of the Los Angeles metro area.
The Los Angeles Unified School District confirmed at least two elementary schools and a high school were either damaged or destroyed in the flames. All schools and offices will be closed through the rest of the week said it will continue assessing the situation over the next few days for the possibility of online learning to continue next week.
LIVE UPDATES: DEADLY CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES FORCE EVACUATIONS, DESTROY OVER 2,000 STRUCTURES
Kenneth Fire: New fire develops on Thursday afternoon
The Los Angeles Fire Department issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in the Van Owen/City Border/Burbank area on Thursday afternoon.
The fire was last reported to have consumed nearly 1,000 acres but has not destroyed any homes or businesses.
Resources from other major fires were diverted to the Kenneth Fire to help to contain the blaze.
A nearby weather station was reporting winds of 10-20 mph but was expected to increase through the evening after sunset.
Sources told Los Angeles' FOX 11 that one person was taken into custody in connection to an arson investigation, but authorities stressed they still don't know what triggered the series of fires.
FOX 11 Los Angeles joins Fox Weather with the latest coverage regarding the wildfires in Southern California
Fox 11 shares more information regarding evacuations and coverage of the new fire in Southern California named the Kenneth fire.
Reported water shortages, communication challenges hinder Palisades Fire
The monstrous Palisades Fire ignited in the Santa Monica Mountains late Tuesday morning and exploded in a fury, consuming more than 19,000 acres as of the last check, according to CAL FIRE.
FOX News Senior National Correspondent William La Jeunesse reported from the heart of the Palisades on Thursday, highlighting the critical issue of water shortages, with reports of depleted water tanks hindering firefighting efforts. While the Department of Water and Power (DWP) denies these claims, residents have been advised to boil tap water due to potential contamination.
"L.A. County and all 29 fire departments in our county are not prepared for this type of widespread disaster," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. "There are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude."
Devastation seen in Malibu after deadly California wildfires
FOX Weather's Robert Ray recorded this video in Malibu, California, after wildfires swept through the area.
WATCH: LOS ANGELES HOME COLLAPSES LIVE ON FOX WEATHER AS WILDFIRES RAGE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Communication challenges further complicate the situation. Power outages and disrupted cell service have left many residents isolated and unable to contact loved ones.
Elon Musk has pledged to provide Starlink satellite internet service to affected areas, offering a lifeline for communication. DWP said it had restored power to more than 150,000 of its 1.5 million electric customers since the start of the firestorm.
Renewed wildfire threat, gusty winds remain in forecast
The Santa Ana winds are expected to taper off later Sunday, but forecasters are keeping a wary eye on the forecast for the middle of next week.
Another area of cold, dense air brings high pressure in the Great Basin while another strong area of low pressure swings off the Southern California shore, signaling perhaps yet another potentially strong and damaging Santa Ana wind event starting Tuesday night and lingering through Wednesday.
"This would be concerning with likely no rain expected and the Tuesday night-Wednesday time period being the fourth offshore event in the stretch," NWS Los Angeles forecasters wrote.
They added that conditions could become exacerbated by the lack of significant rain since last spring and the previous damage from wildfires.
"Residents are urged to stay tuned to the latest information and remain vigilant in steps to protect your life and property," the NWS forecasters wrote.
Strong Santa Ana winds remain in forecast for multiple days into next week
Additional waves of strong and potentially damaging offshore Santa Ana winds are forecast over the weekend and into next week as the overall weather pattern that helped spread massive wildfires shows no signs of changing soon.