US President Joe Biden has likened Los Angeles to a "war scene", as multiple major blazes continue to devour neighbourhoods around the city.
"It reminded me of more of a war scene, where you had certain targets that were bombarded," Mr Biden said.
"It's almost like a battle scene," he added.
"There's clear evidence that there's looting. There's clear evidence that people are going into these survivors' communities... and looting," Mr Biden said.
Mr Biden also took a veiled swipe at incoming president Donald Trump, who has spread misinformation over the flames that has then been amplified on social media.
"You're going to have a lot of demagogues out there trying to take advantage of it," Mr Biden said of the fires.
A nighttime curfew has been imposed in disaster areas hit by the fires, Los Angeles County sheriff Robert Luna has said.
"You cannot be in these affected areas. If you are, you are subject to arrest," he told a press conference.
"We're doing it to protect the structures, the houses that people have left because we ordered them to leave."
The rule, which will be in effect between 6pm and 6am in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fire areas, comes as fears of looting grow, with some residents organizing street patrols and keeping armed watch over their own houses.
"We're not doing this to inconvenience anybody," said Mr Luna.
"This curfew will be strictly enforced and is being taken to enhance public safety, protect property and prevent any burglaries or looting in the area that the residents have evacuated."
Mr Luna said anyone who breaks the curfew could be jailed.
"I've given direction that if somebody is caught doing this, they are not going to get cited and released.
They're going to get booked. We are not screwing around with this."
Wildfires a public health emergency
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has declared a public health emergency for California to address the health impacts of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County.
The declaration gives the Centers for Medicare &Medicaid Services' (CMS) health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of people enrolled under Medicare and Medicaid insurance plans, said the HHS.
HHS said its Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is prepared to deploy responders, along with medical equipment and supplies if requested by the state.
Meanwhile, firefighters reported some progress fighting the wildfires that have charred hillsides, homes and streets in Los Angeles County, but the strong winds that fanned the flames were expected to pick up again, worsening conditions.
The fires, engulfing iconic neighbourhoods and tearing through the Hollywood Hills, have so far killed 10 people and destroyed nearly 10,000 structures.
Mr Luna said he expected the death toll to grow.
"It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers," Mr Luna told a press conference.
Some Pacific Palisades residents ventured back to areas where a wall of fire had already swept through.
"We are alive. That's all that matters," private security guard Bilal Tukhi said while standing watch outside his employer's damaged home, saying the scene reminded him of his native, war-torn Afghanistan.
As of early Friday, five fires were still burning.
The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in LA history.
They have consumed more than 13,750 hectares and turned entire neighborhoods to ash.
The Palisades Fire is now 6% controlled, while the Eaton Fire still blazed out of control, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The skies buzzed with aircraft dropping water and fire retardant on the flaming hills.
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Kenneth Fire 35% controlled
One rapidly growing blaze that broke out yesterday near Calabasas, one of the wealthiest cities in the US and home to numerous celebrities and gated communities, was 35% under control by early this morning, fire officials said.
The so-called Kenneth Fire had expanded to 388 hectares in a matter of hours.
The Hurst Fire was 37% contained, while the Lidia Fire, the smallest of the five, was 75% contained.
Winds dropped yesterday from the gusts of up to 160km/h seen earlier in the week, allowing crucial support from the air for firefighters on the ground.
But officials said winds intensified again overnight, and red flag conditions were expected until this afternoon.
President Biden, who declared a major disaster on Tuesday, promised that the federal government would reimburse 100% of the recovery for the next 180 days to pay for debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters and first responder salaries.
"I told the governor, local officials, spare no expense todo what they need to do and contain these fires," Mr Biden said after meeting with senior advisers at the White House.
Private forecaster AccuWeather estimated the damage and economic loss at $135bn to $150bn, portending an arduous recovery and soaring homeowners' insurance costs.
Officials said the Eaton Fire had damaged or destroyed 4,000 to 5,000 structures while the Palisades Fire destroyed or damaged another 5,300 structures.
In Altadena, a racially and economically diverse community nearby, many residents said they were concerned government resources would be channeled toward wealthier areas and they worried that insurance companies might shortchange less affluent households who lacked the means to contest fire claims.
"They're not going to give you the value of your house...if they do you really have to fight for it," said Kay Young, 63.
She tearfully looked over smoking rubble, the remnants of a home that she said had been in her family for generations.
Hollywood fire contained
Firefighting crews managed to fully control the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, after flames had raged atop the ridge overlooking Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame on Wednesday night.
Officials said they were working to establish curfews for areas affected by mandatory evacuation orders to prevent looting.
The LA County Sheriff's Department said it had requested the support of the California National Guard to help local law enforcement with traffic control and to protect critical infrastructure.
It said 20 people had been arrested for looting.
Southern California Edison said it had received notices from insurance companies to preserve evidence related to the Eaton Fire, but said no fire agencies have pointed to the utility's connection to the fire.
"We're already looking ahead to aggressively rebuild the city of Los Angeles," said Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, who faced criticism from president-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans over her handling of the disaster.
Governor Gavin Newsom said the service members were part of a thousands-strong deployment of state personnel.
"We're throwing everything at our disposal - including our National Guard service members - to protect communities in the days to come," he said.
"And to those who would seek to take advantage of evacuated communities, let me be clear: looting will not be tolerated."
Fires visible from space
The Eaton Fire reached the grounds of the Mount Wilson Observatory, the place where a century ago Edwin Hubble discovered the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky Way and that the universe is expanding.
The Observatory later said the flare-up appeared under control.
The two biggest conflagrations - the Palisades and Eaton fires - formed a pincer around the city so enormous that it was visible from space.
In Pacific Palisades, once-palatial homes stood in ruins, while downed power lines and abandoned cars littered the roadways.
One resident, John Carr, 65, said he defied evacuation orders and stayed to successfully protect his home.
"The house was built by my mother and father in 1960 and I lived here my whole life so there's a lot of memories here. And I think I owed it to them as well to try my best to save it."
Mr Carr said there were no fire crews to help him try to save his neighbours' homes.
"If they had had some fire trucks and just put a squirt here, a squirt there and kept an eye on things, all these houses would be here now. I'm telling you right now."
Read more:
'We have lost everything': Despair in the Los Angeles fires
The smell of heavy smoke filled the air, and residents wearing masks rode bicycles, hoping to catch a glimpse of their damaged houses.
The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those consumed by flames.
Reality TV star Paris Hilton shared video of her charred beachfront home in Malibu after watching it burn down on live TV.
Images showed piles of charred debris and twisted metal with waves lapping the beach in the background.
Oscar winner Mel Gibson also revealed his home was lost in the wildfires while he was away recording a podcast interview with Joe Rogan.
Chef Jose Andres, the Spaniard known for providing free food to disaster victims around the world, set up a food truck near the Palisades Fire on Pacific Coast Highway.
"Everybody needs support and love in these moments, wealthy or not, poor or not," he said.
Actor Jamie Lee Curtis said her family would donate $1 million to relief efforts.
Firefighters from half a dozen other US states and Canada were being rushed to California, in addition to US federal personnel and materiel.
"To our American neighbours: Canada is here to help," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose country has experienced its own severe wildfires.
