At least five people have been killed, but a county sheriff said the exact death toll was uncertain as burned neighborhoods haven’t been searched. The Palisades and Eaton fires are the most destructive ever to hit the city.

Fierce wildfires are raging in the Los Angeles area, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, sending residents fleeing from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke. Thousands of firefighters were battling at least three separate blazes on Wednesday,

With flames driven by hurricane-force winds, “it feels like Armageddon,” said one woman who was forced to evacuate. “It’s just smoke and darkness.”