While lightning is the most common source of fires in the U.S., according to the National Fire Protection Association, investigators ruled that out.

At least 16 people have been killed, thousands of others displaced and some 12,000 structures destroyed as wildfires tear through the Los Angeles area.

The crisis underscores efforts to look beyond the forests and public lands that have been the traditional focus of wildfire risk to more community-based mitigation efforts involving homeowners, private landowners,

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles city fire department chief Kristin Crowley assured residents they were on the same page regarding battling fires in the city after the latter claimed the department was underfunded.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will take the lead in investigating the exact cause of multiple fires that have swept through the Los Angeles area.

A CNN analysis of the 10 largest US cities and other comparable departments shows the Los Angeles Fire Department is less staffed than almost any other major city, leaving it struggling to meet both daily emergencies and larger disasters such as wildfires.

Conditions are expected to dramatically worsen, with “extreme fire behaviour and life-threatening conditions” over the coming days.

The Palisades Fire is along the California coast ... Susan McKelvey, a spokesperson for the National Fire Protection Association, told VERIFY departments that have access to ocean water do ...

Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder is in contact with officials in Southern California to share insights on recovery efforts following a wildfire, drawing from his experience as a Camp Fire survivor and

Lightning is the most common cause of fires in the US, but investigators quickly ruled it out as a factor in the recent fires.

As devastating wildfires have destroyed huge swaths of Los Angeles County, incinerating homes and leaving at least 27 people dead, fire and law enforcement authorities have also had to contend with a number of arson fires.