The Palisades Fire between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's western flank and the Eaton Fire in the east near Pasadena already rank as the most destructive in Los Angeles history, consuming more than 34,000 acres (13,750 hectares) - or some 53 square miles - turning entire neighborhoods to ash, according to Reuters news agency.
The death toll from the blazes rose to 10, Los Angeles County's Medical Examiner said in an update late on Thursday, without providing identities or other details.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told an earlier press conference he expected the number to grow.
"It looks like an atomic bomb dropped in these areas. I don't expect good news, and we're not looking forward to those numbers," Luna said.
MA/PR