What to Know

• A state of emergency remains in effect for Los Angeles city and county Wednesday as at least four fires continue to burn out of control in the area, fanned by a destructive windstorm.
• A brush fire broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills west of Runyon Canyon.
• Five people have died in the Eaton Fire near Altadena, which left a devastating trail of scorched homes as it spreads rapidly through foothill neighborhoods.
• The Palisades Fire that began Monday in the Pacific Palisades, sparked by a backyard fire, has destroyed an as-yet-uncountable number of homes and forced thousands to flee continues to burn, with new evacuation warnings issued for Malibu.
• Schools across the region have been canceled for Wednesday, and officials are urging parents to check with their campus or district for any up-to-the-minute status changes.
• Evacuation efforts have been repeatedly complicated by snarled traffic situations as masses of people attempt to flee on limited highway space and narrow roads. See a list of road closures here.
• Tens of thousands of households across the area remain without power.