Satellite images show wildfires raging unchecked in Los Angeles

Satellite images of the disaster, released by Maxar Technologies, show the extent of the damage that the fires have caused in the California.

Wildfires are raging across Los Angeles as firefighters struggle to put out the blazes three days after it began. Nearly 2,000 buildings have been caught in the fire, while 130,000 residents have been forced to evacuate. The fires have gotten worse due to strong winds ripping through the mountains and foothills.

Satellite image showing homes and buildings burning on East Altadena Drive during the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California.(AFP)

Ferocious winds that drove the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed somewhat and were not expected to be as powerful during the day. That could provide an opportunity for firefighters to make progress reining in blazes that have hopscotched across the sprawling region, including massive ones in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

Satellite images of the disaster, released by Maxar Technologies, show the extent of the damage that the fires have caused in the California. One image of Marathon Road in Altadena show a quiet, serene location before the Eaton fire broke out on January 8. The entire neighbourhood is covered in blazes in smoke soon after, show the images.

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows buildings near Marathon Road before the Eaton Fire, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, California(AP)

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows burning and destroyed houses from the Eaton Fire near Marathon Road.(AP)

All around Los Angeles, scenes of flames were everywhere, as many areas continued to burn all but unabated. Many people were forced to go about their lives.

This infrared satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows burned structures and active fire burning from the Palisades Fire in Tuna Canyon.(AP)

Amid the destruction, firefighters tried to save homes — or keep others from being chewed up. Holding large hoses, in one area firefighters pumped water. In another, a firefighter worked at putting out flames in a house already largely destroyed. In many cases, the best case scenario was simply making sure that embers didn't fly in the winds and ignite more structures.

Homes and buildings on East Altadena Drive in Altadena, California, on January 6, 2025 (L) and a color infrared satellite image of homes and buildings burning on East Altadena Drive during the Eaton Fire on January 8, 2025. (AFP)

In areas where people who had been evacuated could return, what awaited them was dire. A couple, arms around each other, looked at what was left of their smoldering home. Another person stood, using their arm to cover their face, next to a home that looked like it had been bombed. A statue of a human, without a head, lay on a street, surrounded by debris from the destruction.

Wildfires rage unchecked

At least five people were killed and more than 1,000 structures were destroyed as fierce wildfires raged in the Los Angeles area, the US media quoted officials as saying. Fast-moving flames burned through homes and businesses as residents fled smoke-filled canyons and picturesque neighborhoods that are home to many celebrities.