In Southern California, firefighters are continuing to battle multiple wildfires raging around Los Angeles, which have now claimed at least 10 lives, though officials warn the death toll could continue to climb. This is L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Sheriff Robert Luna: “Based on the devastation, that is clear — looks like a bomb, an atomic bomb, dropped in these areas — I don’t expect good news, and we’re not looking forward to those numbers.”

A new fire, the Kenneth fire, exploded Thursday evening in the West Hills north of Calabasas, quickly spreading to 1,000 acres. Meanwhile, the two largest fires — the Palisades and the Eaton fires — were just 6% and 0% contained as of early this morning. Experts say the wildfires are not only the most destructive in U.S. history, but likely will be the most costly disaster, as well. Over 10,000 homes and other structures have been damaged or destroyed, and at least 180,000 residents are under evacuation orders. This is Alita Johnson, lifelong Altadena resident, who lost her home in the Eaton blaze.

Alita Johnson: “But nothing prepares you for this amount of destruction. I mean, there’s no manual. There’s no book. That night when we left, it was so frightening. You could barely see two — you could barely — I could barely see my hand in front of me, because the visibility was so bad and the winds were whipping just ferociously.”

Boil water advisories have been issued in much of the affected areas, with only bottled water recommended for drinking. Meanwhile, health experts warn children, the elderly and those with certain medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to health complications from inhaling wildfire smoke, which is filled with fine particulate matter. Red flag fire weather warnings are continuing today, and forecasters warn gusty dry winds could return to the region as early as Sunday.