LA wildfires worsen with rising winds; death toll rises to 16

Firefighters fought on into the night Saturday in a bid to get on top of massive wildfires around Los Angeles as winds ramped up, pushing the blazes towards previously untouched neighbourhoods.

At least 16 people were now confirmed dead from fires that have ripped through the city, leaving communities in ruins and testing the mettle of thousands of firefighters -- and millions of California residents.

Despite heroic efforts, including precision sorties from aerial crews, the Palisades Fire continued to grow Saturday, pushing east towards the priceless collections of the Getty Center art museum and north to the densely populated San Fernando Valley.

"We're a nervous wreck," Sarah Cohen told the Los Angeles Times of the threat to her Tarzana home. "Every time they drop water, it gets better. But then it gets worse again."

Footage from the Mandeville Canyon area showed one home consumed, with a wall of flame licking up a hillside to menace others. A brief lull in the wind was rapidly giving way to gusts that forecasters warned would feed the blazes for days to come.

"Critical fire-weather conditions will unfortunately ramp up again today for southern California and last through at least early next week," the National Weather Service said. "This may lead to the spread of ongoing fires as well as the development of new ones."