24 dead, 12,000 structures destroyed in Los Angeles fire amid race to douse blaze

At least 24 people have died, and 16 others were reported missing due to the wildfires in Los Angeles as firefighters raced to contain the inferno for the sixth day. Over 12,000 structures have been destroyed due to the wildfires so far, according to officials.

The US National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions on Wednesday, citing winds of 80 kmph and gusts in the mountains reaching up to 113 kmph, according to The Associated Press.

The most dangerous day for the fires will be Tuesday, a weather service meteorologist was quoted as saying. Firefighters from seven US states, along with teams from Canada and Mexico, have joined efforts to help contain the blaze.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that this could be the most devastating natural disaster in US history, which has destroyed thousands of homes and forced over one lakh people to evacuate. Over 1.5 lakh people in Los Angeles County remained under evacuation orders, with more than 700 residents taking refuge in nine shelters.