What is happening in Los Angeles and what caused the wildfires?

Out-of-control wildfires are tearing through parts of Los Angeles, leading to at least five deaths, burning down hundreds of buildings and forcing more than 130,000 people to flee their homes in America’s second-largest city.

Despite the efforts of firefighters, the largest fires remain completely out of control – with weather conditions and the underlying effects of climate change expected to continue fanning the flames in the coming days.

More than 137,000 people have been forced to leave their homes – many carrying only the possessions they can.

Police say at least five people are dead and their bodies found near the Eaton fire – but their cause of death is not yet known.

Like the even larger Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire remains completely uncontained. Meanwhile, the new Sunset Fire threatens the familiar Hollywood Hills area.

More than 1,000 structures are known to have been destroyed — including homes, schools and businesses on the iconic Sunset Boulevard. A fire ecologist has told the BBC that “whole neighbourhoods… have been wiped out”.

Among the celebrities who have lost their homes are Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes a few days ago, and Paris Hilton.

There is a glimmer of hope for firefighters as the Southern California fire weather outlook has been downgraded from “extremely critical” to “critical.”

But BBC forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas says there is no rain forecast in the area for at least the next week, meaning conditions remain ripe for fire.

Mass disruptions due to traffic build-up have been reported. A number of schools and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been forced to close.

A political row over the city’s preparedness has emerged after it emerged that some firefighters had run out of hoses – an issue that has been addressed by US President-elect Donald Trump.

There are at least five fires burning in the wider area, according to California fire officials early Thursday:

• Palisades: The first fire that broke out on Tuesday and the largest fire in the region, which could become the most destructive fire in the history of the state. It has burned a significant portion of the land, covering more than 17,200 acres, including the upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood
• Eaton: It has hit the northern part of Los Angeles and is blazing through towns like Altadena. It is the second largest fire in the area, burning about 10,600 acres
• Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it started burning Tuesday night and has grown to 855 acres, though firefighters have had some limited success in containing it
• Lydia: It erupted Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles and grew to cover nearly 350 acres. Authorities say it has been 40% contained
• Sunset: It erupted Wednesday night in the Hollywood Hills and grew to about 20 acres in less than an hour. It now covers about 43 acres

The earlier Woodley and Oliva’s fires have now been contained, according to local fire officials.

Officials have pointed to high winds and drought in the area, which has made the vegetation very dry and easy to burn.

The likely impact of climate change has also been cited as being blamed – although the exact circumstances remain unclear.

About 95% of wildfires in the area are started by humans, according to David Acuna, a battalion chief with the California Fire Department, although officials have not yet indicated how they believe the current fires started.

An important factor that has been cited in the spread of the flames is the Santa Ana winds, which blow from the interior towards the coast. At speeds of more than 60 mph (97 km/h), these are believed to have fanned the flames.

Although high winds and a lack of rain are driving the flames, experts say climate change is altering the background conditions and increasing the likelihood of such fires.

US government research is unequivocal linking climate change to larger and more severe wildfires in the western United States.

“Climate change, including increased heat, longer droughts, and a thirstier atmosphere, has been a key factor in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

And after a very hot summer and lack of rain in recent months, California is particularly vulnerable.

Fire season in Southern California is generally thought to run from May to October – but the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has previously indicated that flames had become a perennial problem. “There is no fire season,” he said. “It’s a fire year.”

Speaking to the BBC, Mr. Acuna that the Palisades fire represented only the third time in the past 30 years that a major fire had broken out in January.