What to Know About the California Wildfires

As of Thursday morning, the catastrophic wildfires burning through Los Angeles County had killed five people, destroyed nearly 2,000 structures, and forced tens of thousands to evacuate, reports the AP. The Palisades Fire in particular already is the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles. Details:

• The fires: Multiple wildfires are burning. Palisades is the big one (17,200 acres), with others including Eaton (10,600 acres), Hurst (855), Lidia (348), and Sunset (42), according to the latest stats in the Los Angeles Times. The newspaper is tracking them all on a map.
• Hollywood: The Sunset fire may be relatively small at this point, but it's in the high-profile Hollywood Hills area near the Hollywood Bowl and other landmarks. The iconic Hollywood sign is near the evacuation area and also potentially at risk, though USA Today doesn't deem that risk to be "imminent." (Its story has a rundown of landmarks in play.) The BBC has video locating the fire and the sign.
• What's different: "California wildfires" may be a familiar phrase, but they are typically confined to Southern California's hills, explains the New York Times. These fires have spread to metro areas near the city itself. Fierce Santa Ana winds and a lack of rain over the last few months have contributed. To put it simply," "Los Angeles is surrounded by fire."

• Biden trip: President Biden has canceled a trip to Italy this weekend because of the fires, reports the Hill. He was going to meet the pope in what would have been his final foreign trip as president.
• Sports: The fires are starting to affect pro sports schedules. Most notably, the NFL has a contingency plan if the Los Angeles Rams are not able to host Monday night's playoff game. The Athletic has the details, including issues in the NHL and NBA as well.
• Celebs: The fires have ripped through celebrity neighborhoods including Calabasas and Santa Monica. Billy Crystal, Paris Hilton, Mark Hamill, Mandy Moore, and James Woods are among the big names who have lost their homes. Evacuation orders also have reached the celebrity bastion of Beverly Hills.

(More Palisades Fire stories.)