Winds calmed Friday around Los Angeles, providing a fleeting window of opportunity for firefighters battling five major blazes, after official recriminations began over responsibility for the disaster, as a strict curfew went into force to prevent looting and lawlessness.
At least 11 people have died as flames ripped through neighborhoods and razed thousands of homes this week in a disaster that US President Joe Biden likened to a "war scene."
As fears of looting grow, a sunset-to-sunrise curfew took effect in evacuated areas of Los Angeles.
Around two dozen arrests have already been made across Los Angeles, where some residents have organized street patrols and kept armed watch over their own houses.
"If we see you in these areas, you will be subject to arrest," Los Angeles Police Department chief Jim McDonnell said.
Violators face up to six months in prison or $1,000 fines, he said. The National Guard has been deployed to bolster law enforcement.
As the scale of the damage to America's second-biggest city came into focus -- one new estimate suggested the bill could hit $150 billion -- Angelenos grappled with the heart-rending ruin.
"I lost everything. My house burned down and I lost everything," Hester Callul, who reached a shelter after fleeing her Altadena home, told AFP.
With fears of looting and crime growing, California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed the National Guard to bolster law enforcement.
A nighttime curfew has been imposed in evacuated areas, and dozens of arrests made.
"This curfew will be strictly enforced," said Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna. "We are not screwing around with this."
The five separate fires have so far burned more than 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares), California's fire agency reported.
"It reminded me of more of a war scene, where you had certain targets that were bombarded," said Biden, as he received a briefing on the fires at the White House.
- 'Devastating' -
A lull in winds enabled much-needed progress in tackling the fires Friday.
The biggest of the blazes has burned down more than 20,000 acres of the upscale Pacific Palisades and Malibu neighborhoods, where firefighters said they were starting to get the fire under control.
By Friday eight percent of its perimeter was contained -- meaning it can't spread any further in that direction.
"Braveheart" actor Mel Gibson was the latest celebrity to reveal his Malibu home had burned down, telling NewsNation the loss was "devastating."
The Eaton fire in the Altadena area was three percent checked, with almost 14,000 acres scorched and key infrastructure -- including communication towers -- threatened.
Fire chief Jason Schillinger said Friday that "significant progress" had been made in quelling the blaze.
A third fire that exploded Thursday afternoon near Calabasas and the wealthy Hidden Hills enclave, home to celebrities like Kim Kardashian, was 35 percent surrounded.
But emergency chiefs warned the situation is "still very dangerous" and the reprieve from intense gusts that spread embers will not last.
"The winds have died down today, but... are going to increase again in the coming days," said Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
- 'Need answers' -
The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office confirmed an additional fatality on Friday, bringing the overall death toll so far to 11.
Authorities have said it was too early to know the cause of the blazes, but criticism has mounted of officials' preparedness and response.
Newsom ordered on Friday a "full independent review" of the city's water utilities, describing the lack of water supplies and loss of pressure at hydrants during the initial fires as "deeply troubling."
"We need answers to how that happened," he wrote in an open letter.
Los Angeles fire chief Kristin Crowley blamed funding cuts to her department, telling Fox News affiliate KTTV: "We are still understaffed, we're still under-resourced, and we're still underfunded."
Meanwhile, emergency managers apologized Friday after false evacuation alerts were erroneously sent to millions of mobile phones, sparking panic.
"I can't express enough how sorry I am," said Kevin McGowan, the director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.
And aviation authorities were investigating who had piloted an illegal drone that struck a water-dropping aircraft, punching a fist-sized hole in the plane and taking it out of action.
- Misinformation -
Biden also took a veiled swipe at incoming president Donald Trump, who has spread misinformation over the flames that has then been amplified on social media.
"You're going to have a lot of demagogues out there trying to take advantage of it," Biden said of the fires.
Wildfires occur naturally, but scientists say human-caused climate change is altering weather and changing the dynamics of the blazes.
Two wet years in southern California have given way to a very dry one, leaving ample fuel on the ground primed to burn.
The fires could be the costliest ever recorded, with AccuWeather estimating total damage and loss between $135 billion and $150 billion.
Los Angeles apologizes over false alarms
Emergency managers in Los Angeles apologized Friday after false evacuation alerts sparked panic in a city on edge over an unprecedented wildfire disaster.
Millions of mobile phones blared on Thursday afternoon and again on Friday morning with automated warnings urging people to be ready to flee.
"This is an emergency message from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. An EVACUATION WARNING has been issued in your area," said the message, which was widely disseminated on Thursday, including to areas well away from the danger zones.
"Remain vigilant of any threats and be ready to evacuate. Gather loved ones, pets and supplies."
Huge fires in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles and around Altadena have consumed 35,000 acres, razing thousands of buildings and killing 10 people.
For many Angelenos, the alert system was the first they knew of the blazes and the need to escape.
Some 153,000 people are currently under mandatory evacuation orders across the region.
A correction was sent 20 minutes later, explaining the alert had only applied to the new Kenneth Fire that was exploding to the north of the city.
Nevertheless, a similar erroneous message was sent out around 4 am Friday.
Kevin McGowan, the director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, said the automated errors had caused "frustration, anger (and) fear."
"I can't express enough how sorry I am," he told reporters.
McGowan said he was working with specialists to find out what had gone wrong and why so many people were sent messages that did not apply to them.
"I implore everyone to not disable the messages on your phone," he said.
"This is extremely frustrating, painful and scary, but these alert tools have saved lives during these emergencies."
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said the error was "unacceptable."
"I want to express my deep frustration with the alert system that is causing confusion and additional panic for our communities at this time of extreme crisis," she said.
"Whatever the cause, it is unacceptable."
Chris Sheach, assistant professor in disaster management at Paul Smith's College, said automated warning systems are always susceptible to "kinks and bugs," particularly as they are rarely used at scale, but still remain vital in reducing the death toll during disasters.
"Likely it was a coding error," that caused warnings to reach unintended recipients in the wrong area codes, he told AFP.
"The benefits far outweigh the risks. If this had been the Palisades in 1975... the only way they could evacuate people was fire trucks driving street by street with a megaphone."
Sheach said it was important for authorities to be up front about the mistakes, so that citizens do not ignore or disable future alerts.
"Millions of these messages go out every year across the country, across the globe, to communities that are appropriate, safe, and on time," he said.
"Because of those misses, it takes a little extra work to build the trust."