'California is a tinderbox,' fires in Southern California kill at least 5

Los Angeles — Officials confirm at least five people have died, as firefighters continued battling early Thursday to control a series of major fires in the Los Angeles area.

Ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena were displaced by morning, many grabbing only what they could carry. Ferocious winds that drove the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed somewhat and aren't expected to remain as powerful during the day. That could allow firefighters to make progress reining in blazes that have hopscotched across the sprawling region, including massive ones in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

Here's the latest:

Biden to be briefed on full federal response to Los Angeles wildfires

President Joe Biden will gather senior White House and administration officials for the briefing after he returns from delivering the eulogy at the state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter.

He was briefed earlier Thursday on the latest updates of the wildfires across Los Angeles.

Regional alert systems can help keep residents up to date

Many communities, including several in California, have warning alert systems that allow residents to sign up for push notifications to their mobile phones or email accounts.

FEMA has a downloadable app that provides real-time alerts on mobile phones, and public safety agencies can also push alerts to television, radio and wireless devices through the Integrated Public Alert & Warning System. The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards is a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information as well as official Weather Service warnings, forecasts and other hazard information.

A battery- or crank-operated portable radio can also be a critical tool for receiving emergency alerts, especially in areas where cellular service is unreliable or when regional cellular towers might be threatened by wind, fire or other hazards.

Fire in the Hollywood Hills held to under 1 square mile

The latest flames broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, striking closer to the heart of the city and the roots of its entertainment industry and putting densely populated neighborhoods on edge during exceptionally windy and dry conditions.

Within a few hours, firefighters had made major progress on the Sunset Fire in the hills. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said they were able to keep the fire in check because “we hit it hard and fast and mother nature was a little nicer to us today than she was yesterday.”

Satellite imagery shows stark destruction of neighborhoods scorched by the fires

The dramatic level of destruction in some places was apparent in a comparison of satellite images before and after the fire.

A swath of about 250 homes in an Altadena neighborhood dotted with the green canopies of leafy trees and aquamarine swimming pools was reduced to rubble. Only a few homes were left standing and some were still in flames in the images by Maxar Technologies.

Along a stretch of about 70 wall-to-wall homes overhanging the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, fewer than 10 appeared to be intact.

Copyright Associated Press