California fires live updates: Palisades Fire one of most destructive in LA history

Five major wildfires are currently burning in the Los Angeles area, according to Cal Fire.

The Palisades Fire began in the Pacific Palisades area of the city on Tuesday. It has so far burned 17,234 acres and is at 0% containment. More than 1,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed.

The Eaton Fire, north of Pasedna, began on Tuesday. It expanded to 10,600 acres and is at 0% containment. Five people have died in the fire and up to 500 structures have been damaged or destroyed.

The Hurst Fire in Sylmar, northwest of San Fernando, began on Tuesday and has burned 855 acres. It is at 10% containment.

The Lidia Fire erupted on Wednesday on the northwest edge of the Angeles National Forest. It has grown to 348 acres and is at 40% containment.

The Sunset Fire broke out above West Hollywood on Wednesday. It is at 43 acres and 0% containment.

The newest wildfire to break out in Los Angeles -- the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills -- has grown to some 50 acres, but officials said firefighters are making progress getting a handle on the flames.

LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart told KABC that firefighters are in a "much better place" than earlier in the evening because firefighters have been able to do multiple water drops from the air over the flames.

An update from the LA County Sheriff's Department shortly before 8:30 p.m. local time said the most intense fire activity was occurring on the southwestern side of the fire.

"On the eastern side, there are active flames within the interior of the fire, but the perimeter is holding well thanks to a fire road and ground crews in place," the department said.

The blaze in famed Runyon Canyon sparked a mandatory evacuation that affected some iconic Hollywood locations, including the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held, and the Hollywood Bowl.

President Joe Biden has canceled his trip to Italy amid the Los Angeles fires, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Wednesday. Jean-Pierre added that Biden will instead "remain focused on directing the full federal response in the days ahead."

The decision comes after Biden returned from the Los Angeles area Wednesday, where he was briefed by local law enforcement. Biden was scheduled to leave for Rome on Thursday and was planning to meet with the Pope and Italian leaders including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

--ABC News' Michelle Stoddart

"It's like a third-world country out there," said Kathryn Barger, chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors, characterizing the fires at a press conference alongside LA Mayor Karen Bass just after 5 p.m. PT.

Barger described the Eaton Fire — which was then 10,600 acres with 0% containment — as unlike anything she had ever seen before.

"We are prone to wildfires, but nothing like what I witnessed today,” she said.

The local sheriff's station was evacuated, she added, before telling those impacted: "You are not alone" and instructing the public to lean on one another, to reach out and "love thy neighbor."

At the same press conference, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said that the Eaton Fire was being closely monitored.

"If it does come into the city, we are ready," she said.

Firefighters and first responders remain focused on protecting life and property, she assured, explaining that the wind-driven fires were expected to continue growing into the night.

Her statement came minutes before the Sunset Fire erupted in the Hollywood Hills, adding 10 acres to the total of nearly 27,000 burning in Southern California.