Multiple wildfires raged across thousands of acres in Southern California, displacing tens of thousands of people and ravaging entire Los Angeles neighborhoods, as strong winds and a dwindling water supply stymied firefighters’ efforts to stop the destruction.
At least five people have died, the authorities said, and the fires have burned more than 25,000 acres and razed at least 1,000 buildings. 
As of yesterday afternoon, an estimated 1.5 million customers were out of power. The Palisades fire is among the top 20 most destructive ever in California, based on the number of structures that have been destroyed.
Officials attempted to control the fire yesterday, as helicopters and planes that were previously grounded because of high winds were cleared to drop water on the blazes. The winds, which reached 80 to 100 miles per hour in some areas, weakened on Wednesday afternoon to 50 to 60 m.p.h., according to the National Weather Service.
