Two dead in ‘growing’ LA fires with over 1,000 homes & businesses destroyed and looters arrested as flames 0% contained

TWO people are dead and many more are injured in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that have destroyed over 1,000 homes and businesses.

Fire responders are begging residents to evacuate as four wildfires grow in Los Angeles County with 0% containment as the flames scorch through thousands of acres.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the injuries involved several residents who did not evacuate as well as first responders battling the fires.

The Palisades Fire burning in the Pacific Palisades, an affluent neighborhood in western Los Angeles, has destroyed 1,000 structures and continues to grow, Marrone added.

Over 5,000 acres across three areas in Los Angeles have burned so far since the fires began on Tuesday morning.

The strong winds in the Los Angeles region have hindered the efforts by firefighters to contain the fires.

Gusty winds and dry conditions have allowed the four major fires - the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, and Foodley fires - to spread across multiple cities and neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.

The origins of the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire are still unknown and are under investigation.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna denounced looters who are taking advantage of abandoned homes of residents who have evacuated.

"It's always sad when I have to say this, but part of our responsibility is to make sure nobody loots or steals from our community members who are already being impacted," Luna said.

The sheriff said two people were arrested on Wednesday morning for looting in burn areas.

"So if you're thinking of coming into any of these areas to steal from our residents, I'm going to tell you something - you're going to get caught, you're going to be arrested, and you're going to be prosecuted," Luna added.

"Don't do that. Stay out of these areas, it's only for emergency workers and people who live there."

As of Wednesday morning, over 1,000 structures had been obliterated, more than 70,000 residents are under an evacuation order, and an additional 28,000 structures are at risk from the flames.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump's pick to be his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, told CBS News that his home in Brentwood was evacuated.

"Yeah, we've been evacuated. I'm hoping it's still standing," Kennedy Jr. said.