Los Angeles fires: Death toll rises to 16

At least 16 people have died as wildfires rage in Los Angeles – and there are fears the number will rise.

Officials say it may take several weeks to identify victims as traditional methods – such as fingerprinting and visual identification – may not be possible.

Officials have warned against looting and hotel price hikes.

At least 20 people have been arrested for looting evacuated homes in Los Angeles, including two people who posed as firefighters, a Los Angeles police captain says.

“Looting is an issue, the number of arrests is continuously growing,” Capt Mike Lorenz of the Los Angeles Police Department told a community meeting in the Palisades yesterday evening.

He adds: “We even made arrests of two individuals that were actually posing as firefighters coming in and out of houses”.

Fox News reports that some LA residents are hiring private security to help protect their home from looters. Sean Ben, founder of the security company Nastec, tells the network his company is providing round-the-clock security in some neighbourhoods.

People across Los Angeles have lost their homes, businesses and personal items – and many have already started trying to rebuild what they have lost.

Basic items like laundry detergent and rubber gloves are in short supply with some in Pasadena – where the Eaton fire continues to burn – asking for donations with hand-made signs on the roadside.

Nearby at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, displaced residents trawl through mountains of donations, looking for blankets, shoes, clothing and toilet paper.