How many people have died in the LA fire? What is the death count, are the fires still going, is it under control - as curfew issued amid looting

As authorities try to determine the effects of the devastating fires, the blazes continued to burn across Los Angeles. A new brush fire, the Kenneth fire, started on Thursday afternoon (9 January) in the San Fernando Valley and prompted evacuation orders in the community of Calabasas.

The fires in southern California began on Tuesday afternoon (7 January) with intense winds in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood, one of the city’s most desirable addresses and home to a series of A-list movie stars. Several celebrities have seen their homes burn down including Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore and Paris Hilton. Crystal and his wife, Janice, released a statement on Wednesday saying their home of 45 years in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood was lost.

Of the fires raging in Los Angeles, the Palisades fire on the west side of Los Angeles had consumed the most territory – nearly 20,000 acres and thousands of structures in the hills between Santa Monica and Malibu. Though relatively small, the Sunset fire burned just above Hollywood Boulevard and its Walk of Fame, while to the east, in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains, the Eaton fire claimed another 13,690 acres, nearly 5,000 structures, and killed at least five people, officials said.

The Department of Medical Examiner announced it received notification of 10 fire-related fatalities on Thursday evening. But the death toll is expected to climb. There are currently five wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area, these are the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth, Hurst and Lidia fires.

Some of the previously identified blazes, including the Sunset fire - which appeared to be threatening the iconic Hollywood sign - have been 100% contained. Authorities have been warning of looters and scammers and have made arrests.

A curfew between 6pm and 6am in areas under mandated evacuation is being imposed to aid the crackdown. No rioting has taken place, however, despite claims to the contrary spreading on right-wing social media.

“To those who would seek to take advantage of evacuated communities, let me be clear: looting will not be tolerated,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement on Thursday. He also announced a 400-strong National Guard deployment, which takes the number of official personnel on the ground responding to the disaster to 8,000.

Twenty arrests have been made for looting so far, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said on Thursday. “You will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he warned.