Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, officials said, scorching more than 60 square miles and displacing tens of thousands of people.

Firefighters are battling a fast-moving blaze in southern California that has swelled over the past day, with authorities warning that Thursday is "the period of greatest concern". The Hughes fire, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Los Angeles,