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Amidst an unseasonably dry January, fierce wildfires erupted in Southern California, forcing residents to flee as flames threatened lives, communities, and historic landmarks in and around Hollywood Hills.Wildfires began breaking out in Southern California Tuesday morning as a life-threatening, widespread windstorm roared to life and created extremely dangerous fire weather conditions. The storm could be one of the most destructive to hit the region in over a decade.As of Thursday morning, nearly 2,000 structures have been destroyed, and at least five people had died. The blazes rapidly consumed acres of parched vegetation, whipped by gusty Santa Ana winds, leaving firefighters scrambling to contain the inferno. Towering plumes of smoke blanketed the sky, casting an ominous shadow over neighborhoods on the fire’s edge. Evacuation orders swept through the region, with families hastily packing belongings and fleeing to safety. Officials warned of worsening conditions as shifting winds and low humidity stoked fears of further destruction. Video below: Wildfires push Los Angeles first responders 'to their maximum limits'Meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said this is a "life-threatening" windstorm that "will likely be the most destructive" since a 2011 event "that did extensive damage to Pasadena and nearby foothills of the San Gabriel Valley." Timelapse shows Palisades Fire spreading on WednesdayA timelapse video from Alert California and UC San Diego shows the Palisades Fire continuing to spread on Wednesday. See it below.Flames cause heavy damage on a block in AltadenaVideo shows a block in Altadena, California, in east Los Angeles County, where conditions were getting progressively worse, to the point the sky was almost completely black. In addition to flames being seen destroying homes and vehicles, video shows that burning trees helped flames reach high into the air.Images and videos show senior citizens being rescuedThe massive wildfires have caused thousands to evacuate, including residents from a senior center. Senior center evacuees from Altadena loaded onto ambulances during California wildfires. See more below.Aerial footage shows smoke over Los Angeles areaThick smoke could be seen blanketing the Los Angeles metro area while flying into LAX Airport. See video taken aboard a plane in the player below.Drone video shows the Pacific Palisades on Wednesday, where the Palisades Fire left a trail of destruction. See the video below. Fire departments across California banding together Firefighters all over California are banding together to fight the fires. See the video below to learn how Sacramento firefighters are helping out.Biden reacts to wildfiresPresident Joe Biden was in Southern California as wildfires broke out.Biden and California Gov. Newsom received an LA County wildfire briefing. See it below.Smoke seen billowing from a distance on TuesdayVideo captured on Jan. 7 shows smoke billowing from the Palisades fire. See it below.Click here to follow live updates of the fires.CNN and the Associated Press contributed to this report.