At least five fires spread across more than 45 square miles in the greater Los Angeles area on Thursday, continuing to burn mostly out of control.
The flames, which have been exacerbated by dry conditions and strong winds, have claimed the lives of at least 16 people.
Tens of thousands of acres are being burned in highly populated regions by the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires, among others, forcing more than 180,000 people to evacuate.
Photographs of the catastrophe, which will probably go down as the most catastrophic in Los Angeles history, depict the cataclysmic level of devastation and misery it left behind.