At least 10 dead as crews struggle to contain blazes

• LOS ANGELES – Several wildfires continued to burn across the Los Angeles area on Thursday, destroying homes and businesses, closing schools, clogging roadways and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.
• Roughly 180,000 people were under evacuation orders.
• Late Thursday evening, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed there had been at least 10 deaths related to the fires.
• A second fire, dubbed the Eaton Fire, broke out Tuesday evening near Pasadena. FOX 11 Los Angeles’ crew was at the scene in Altadena as a group of nursing home residents were being evacuated from the area. In addition to family members and loved ones living in nursing homes, animals were also seen being escorted out of the dangerous fire. 
• Meanwhile, firefighters were battling a third blaze, called the “Hurst Fire,” that started around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. It quickly prompted evacuations in Sylmar, a San Fernando Valley community that is the northernmost neighborhood in Los Angeles. 
• At least three additional fires, the Tyler Fire in Riverside County, the Woodley Fire around the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve in Encino, and the Sunset Fire in the hills above Hollywood Boulevard, broke out on Wednesday – adding to the dire situation for firefighters working to contain the flames. 

Flames were being pushed by Santa Ana winds topping 60 mph in some places. The winds were expected to increase overnight, producing isolated gusts that could top 100 mph in the mountains and foothills — including in areas that haven’t seen substantial rain in months.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency. The situation also prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to take the rare step of putting out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help. It was too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight.