New Delhi, Jan. 9 -- At least five people were killed, homes of Hollywood stars and celebrities were among those burnt, and around 100,000 people received notices to evacuate as wildfires in Los Angeles raged "out of control".

Fierce wildfires in the Los Angeles area were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, the Associated Press reported. Thousands of firefighters were battling at least three separate blazes on Wednesday - from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena. One of the fires was the most destructive in the modern history of the city of LA, the report added.

Here's all you need to know about the latest wildfires:

Many of the towering fires began Tuesday and were fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds. The winds persisted Wednesday. At...