The death toll has risen to five in the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles’ history, with more than 1000 buildings destroyed and water supplies stretched to the limit.

Some 130,000 people have been ordered to evacuate as multiple blazes burned across the Californian city, fuelled by hurricane-force winds, and US President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration.

On Thursday afternoon (AEDT), a fresh fire (referred to as Sunset Fire) broke out in the iconic Hollywood Hills, home to the rich and famous, with urgent evacuations ordered.

The new blaze was burning near the Hollywood Bowl and threatening the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The largest wildfire was in Pacific Palisades, a wealthy neighbourhood between the beach towns of Santa Monica and Malibu, also home to many film, TV and music stars.

Celebrities who have reportedly lost their multimillion-dollar homes include actors Anthony Hopkins, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Anna Faris and James Woods.

Other mansions that reportedly burned down belonged to reality TV star Paris Hilton and former talk show host Ricki Lake.

“Heartbroken beyond words,” Paris Hilton posted on X.

“Sitting with my family, watching the news, and seeing our home in Malibu burn to the ground on live TV is something no one should ever have to experience.

“This home was where we built so many precious memories.”

Ben Affleck, Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore, Maria Shriver and others were among the tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes.

The disaster also disrupted several Hollywood events just as the annual awards season was kicking off.

This weekend’s Critics Choice Awards was delayed by two weeks, and next week’s Oscar nominations announcement has been postponed by two days, organisers said.

Film permits were revoked in Pasadena and other areas east of Los Angeles at the request of fire officials, according to permitting organisation FilmLA.

Production of TV shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live and Grey’s Anatomy was halted on Wednesday, and several film premieres were called off. City authorities also blocked public access to the famous Hollywood sign in the hills above Los Angeles.

Strong, dry winds fanned the Palisades blaze, and the area’s narrow, winding streets, combined with the rush of thousands of people ordered to evacuate, created long delays and traffic jams.

Pacific Palisades is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and buffeted by the Santa Monica Mountains.

It is one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the US. A typical home was valued at $US3.7 million ($6 million) at the end of 2023, according to Zillow, more than all but four other postal codes in the US.

“Heartbreaking, devastating, beyond belief,” Shriver, a journalist and the former first lady of California when she was married to former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, wrote on X on Wednesday.

“Everything is gone. Our neighbourhood, our restaurants.”

This is what’s left of the Pacific Palisades. The mall survived. Most everything else is gone. Homes, apartment complexes… businesses. pic.twitter.com/Vfz721V48J

— Jonathan Vigliotti 🐋 (@JonVigliotti) January 8, 2025

Oscar winner Curtis said she was safe but “my community and possibly my home is on fire.”

“It is a terrifying situation,” Curtis wrote on Instagram.

“Pray if you believe in it and even if you don’t, pray for those who do.”

Several other fires — along with the Palisades blaze — were burning around the city.

The fatalities were reported in the Eaton fire, which has grown to more than 4000 hectares as it burns 50 kilometres inland in Altadena, near Pasadena.

Pasadena Fire Chief said 750 firefighters were working the blaze. Up to 500 buildings had been damaged or lost “as this wind-driven fire had wind gusts of 70-plus mp/h (113km/h)”, Chad Augustin said.

He said the fire was 0 per cent contained.

The largest blaze is the Palisades Fire, which is burning more than 6400 hectares, mostly in Pacific Palisades, located between Santa Monica and Malibu. Los Angeles County fire chief Anthony Marrone said it had destroyed at least 1000 structures.

The other fires are the Woodley, Hurst and Lidia, which are all smaller but uncontained.

Will Rogers Estate and Moonshadows are gone. This is disastrous beyond. And obviously so much more. How much heartache can we take? My nostalgic heart is broken. pic.twitter.com/IiHXP8JcfZ

— Vintage Los Angeles (@alisonmartino) January 9, 2025

All were being fuelled by fierce winds on Wednesday (local time), hindering firefighting efforts. A lack of water is also a concern, particularly in Pacific Palisades.

There had been a “high number” of significant injuries among residents who ignored evacuation orders, Marrone said.

Officials warned that the gusty winds would persist throughout the day.

“We are absolutely not out of danger yet, with the strong winds that continue to push through the city and the county today,” Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristen Crowley said.

The winds had made it impossible to offer aerial support for firefighting operations, officials said, putting municipal water systems under immense strain.

Residents were urged to conserve water use.

The skies above Los Angeles glowed red and were blanketed by thick smoke as the sun rose on Wednesday.

As the flames spread and residents began leaving after the fires broke out on Tuesday, roads were so jammed that some people abandoned their vehicles to escape the fire.

Emergency responders were going door to door to tell people to leave.

This morning’s sunrise over Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/QhQEeJVrMk

— Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) January 8, 2025

Pasadena mayor Victor Gordon said more than 100,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders and another 100,000 are being warned to evacuate “because they are in a danger zone.”

He said the community had “experienced a tremendous tragedy”.

“This is an opportunity for us as a community, as a people, to band together and work to support one another. Whether you’re affected or not, please take the opportunity to help a neighbour, help a friend,” he said.

Pasadena city manager Miguel Marques said it had been “a brutal 22 hours”.

“My heart aches for all who lost their homes, their memories and their sense of security,” he said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.

Biden planned to visit a Santa Monica fire station for a briefing from fire officials on Wednesday, the White House said.

About 100 of the 1000 public schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District were shut, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said.

About 188,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles county were without power on Wednesday, data from PowerOutage.us showed.

-with AAP