Out-of-control wildfires are ripping across parts of Los Angeles, leading to at least 10 deaths, burning down hundreds of buildings, and prompting evacuation orders for nearly 180,000 residents across the county.

Despite the efforts of firefighters, the biggest blazes remain totally uncontained – with weather conditions and the underlying impact of climate change expected to continue fanning the flames for days to come.

What’s the latest?

In Los Angeles County, some 179,000 residents are under evacuation orders – many of them leaving their homes simply carrying whatever belongings they can. Another 200,000 residents are under evacuation warning, meaning they could be required to leave their homes soon.

Authorities say at least 10 people have died and their remains are still being identified.

Earlier on Thursday, officials confirmed the first two deaths from the Pacific Palisades fire, although they said the death toll from the Eaton fire was three, not five, as they had stated a day earlier.

Looting and theft has risen in some evacuated neighbourhoods, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said, leading to 20 arrests.

A new blaze, the Kenneth fire, erupted on Thursday in the West Hills area of the city. Police quickly detained a man on suspicion of arson in relation to that fire.

The cause of the other blazes is so far unknown and still under investigation.

Some 5,300 structures have been destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire, which is the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles, and another 5,000 structures have been razed in the Eaton fire just outside the city.

Among celebrities who have lost their homes are Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, who attended the Golden Globes just days ago, and Paris Hilton.

The insurance industry fears this could prove to be one of the costliest wildfire outbreaks in US history, with insured losses expected above $8bn (£6.5bn) due to the high value of properties in the paths of the blazes.

There is a glimmer of hope for firefighters, as the fire weather outlook for southern California has been downgraded from “extremely critical” to “critical”.

But BBC weather forecaster Sarah Keith-Lucas says there is no rain forecast in the area for at least the next week, meaning conditions remain ripe for fire.

Power has been cut to swathes of the city, and traffic jams have built up. Adding to the disruption, a number of schools and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have been forced to close.

A political row about the city’s preparedness has erupted after it emerged that some firefighters’ hoses ran dry, provoking criticism from US President-elect Donald Trump.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a Thursday afternoon press conference that he had not received reports that firefighters ran out of water or experienced low water pressures.

But in neighbouring Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustin said the area experienced a short period of time where pressure was low on a small amount of hydrants. All issues had been resolved, he said.

He attributed the issue to multiple fire engines pulling water at the same time as well as a loss of power lowering pressure.

There are at least five fires raging in the wider area, according to California fire officials on Thursday:

• Palisades: The first fire to erupt on Tuesday and the biggest fire in the region, which could become the most destructive fire in state history. It has scorched a sizable part of land, covering nearly 20,000 acres, including the upscale Pacific Palisades neighbourhood. It was 6% contained on Thursday night
• Eaton: It has struck the northern part of Los Angeles, blazing through cities such as Altadena. It’s the second biggest fire in the area, burning nearly 14,000 acres. It is 0% contained
• Hurst: Located just north of San Fernando, it began burning on Tuesday night and has grown to 670 acres, though firefighters are beginning to contain it
• Lidia: It broke out on Wednesday afternoon in the mountainous Acton area north of Los Angeles and grew to cover almost 350 acres. Authorities say it has been 60% contained
• Kenneth: This new fire broke out on Thursday on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. It so far covers nearly 1,000 acres.