The Sunset Fire erupted in the densely populated Hollywood Hills late Wednesday, prompting more evacuations in areas like Hollywood Boulevard and Runyon Canyon Park. The wildfires tearing through Los Angeles are creating surreal, apocalyptic scenes, including for TV reporters on the ground covering them.

Firefighters battled early Thursday to control a series of major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their homes.