Massive Los Angeles wildfires still burning out of control

A pair of massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning unchecked early on Thursday, two days after they ignited, but firefighting crews made progress overnight in controlling a smaller blaze burning in the hills overlooking Hollywood Boulevard.

The Palisades fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton fire in the east near Pasadena are already the most destructive in Los Angeles history, burning nearly 28,000 acres - an area exceeding the size of Disney World. At least five people have been killed and thousands of structures have been incinerated.

The twin blazes - part of a pincer around the city so expansive that it was visible from space - remained entirely uncontained as of 6:30 a.m. (1430 GMT), according to Cal Fire.

"This firestorm is the big one," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told a press conference after rushing back to the city, cutting short an official trip to Ghana.

Dropping retardants

Firefighters, assisted by helicopters dropping retardants and water, managed to make gains in battling the Sunset Fire, which had forced mandatory evacuations in Hollywood and Hollywood Hills - including famous show-business locations such as the TCL Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame - late on Wednesday.

The fire was in retreat, shrinking to about 43 acres from 60, authorities reported. No buildings were lost in the area, a city fire department spokeswoman said, and most of the evacuation order was lifted.

Overall, more than 100,000 people have been ordered to flee their homes as hurricane-force winds spread flames across parched ground that has seen no rain for months. At least five separate wildfires were burning in Los Angeles County on Thursday morning.

The homes of movie stars and celebrities were among those consumed by flames, which tore through some of the world's most lavish real estate.

The National Weather Service extended Red Flag warnings - issued when the risk for fire is high due to low humidity, high winds and warm temperatures - for Los Angeles and Ventura counties through 6 p.m. Friday.

Humidity will remain at 10% to 20% through Friday, falling to bone-dry single digits at times. Winds are expected to be 40 miles (64 km) per hour with gusts up to 50 mph through the day and into Friday, the agency said, less than the 100-mile-per-hour gusts that fed the blazes earlier this week but still strong.

Water shortages caused some hydrants to run dry in upscale Pacific Palisades, wedged between Malibu and Santa Monica, officials said.

"We pushed the system to the extreme. We're fighting a wildfire with urban water systems," Janisse Quinones, chief executive of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, told reporters on Wednesday.

Firefighters were doing what they could to save lives and then focused on what they could do to save structures, whether there was water in the hydrant or water had to be shuttled in, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Captain Adam VanGerpen told CBS on Thursday morning.

The Palisades fire consumed 17,234 acres (6974 hectares) and hundreds of structures in the hills, racing down Topanga Canyon until reaching the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.

"We are heartbroken of course, but with the love of children and friends we will get through this," said film star Billy Crystal and his wife Janice, announcing the Pacific Palisades home where they had lived since 1979 had been destroyed.