Photos capture how wildfires are ravaging Southern California 3 days after igniting

Associated Press | Thursday, January 9, 2025 7:56 a.m.

Will Adams watches as flames from the Palisades Fire close in on his property in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

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Major wildfires around Los Angeles raged on Thursday as firefighters struggled to put out blazes three days after they began with strong winds ripped through the mountains and foothills.

Ongoing flames

All around Los Angeles, scenes of flames were everywhere, as many areas continued to burn all but unabated. Many people were forced to go about their lives. One person rode a bike past flames, while others walked past houses that were burning.

Protecting Structures

Amid the destruction, firefighters tried to save homes — or keep others from being chewed up. Holding large hoses, in one area firefighters pumped water. In another, a firefighter worked at putting out flames in a house already largely destroyed. In many cases, the best case scenario was simply making sure that embers didn’t fly in the winds and ignite more structures.

The fallout

In areas where people who had been evacuated could return, what awaited them was dire. A couple, arms around each other, looked at what was left of their smoldering home. Another person stood, using their arm to cover their face, next to a home that looked like it had been bombed. A statue of a human, without a head, lay on a street, surrounded by debris from the destruction.

This is a collection of photos of the wildfires.

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