“Damage assessments are ongoing at the Palisades fire. Preliminary reports estimate the damage or destroyed structures to be in the thousands,” Los Angeles city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said during a news conference Thursday morning.

As of Wednesday morning, the Santa Ana wind-fueled Palisades Fire in Los Angeles had scorched more than 5,000 acres and destroyed an estimated 1,000 structures, many of them homes, officials said.

The Sunset Fire erupted in the densely populated Hollywood Hills late Wednesday, prompting more evacuations in areas like Hollywood Boulevard and Runyon Canyon Park. The wildfires tearing through Los Angeles are creating surreal, apocalyptic scenes, including for TV reporters on the ground covering them.

Another 200,000 people face evacuation warnings in Los Angeles area; 20 people have been arrested for looting.

Wildfires menacing Los Angeles have killed at least 10 people and devoured nearly 10,000 structures, with five fires burning into a third night on Thursday, as dry desert winds fanning the flames again gathered strength.

Two Los Angeles County wildfires which tore through more than 30,000 acres in three days, killing at least five people and destroying more than 2,000 structures, are now among the 20 most destructive fires recorded in the state of California.