“Damage assessments are ongoing at the Palisades fire. Preliminary reports estimate the damage or destroyed structures to be in the thousands,” Los Angeles city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said during a news conference Thursday morning.

A number of wildfires are spreading across the Los Angeles area, fuelled by strong winds, engulfing homes, forcing tens of thousands to flee and killing five people. A state of emergency has been declared in California.

The Sunset fire has grown rapidly and is threatening a swath of Los Angeles that contains the Hollywood Bowl and the Chinese Theater.