What happens when a wildfire reaches a city?

Firefighters stand below as brush and trees burn during the Sunset Fire near Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California, on January 8, 2025. | Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Multiple major wildfires, fanned by unusually strong seasonal winds, are currently burning through the Los Angeles area, leaving devastation in their wake.

Thus far, those fires have led to at least five fatalities, massive evacuations, and significant damage to more than 2,000 buildings. 

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