Image source, Getty Images

We've just been listening in to a couple of press conferences about the Palisades and Eaton fires - the two largest blazes. Here's the latest on those situations and the broader picture in Los Angeles, nearly a week into fighting several fires in and around the city.

• Palisades Fire: The largest of the blazes is still at 23,713 acres and is still only 14% contained
• Eaton Fire: This second-largest of the wildfires is at 14,117 acres and is 33% contained
• Weather forecasters warn that the historic Santa Ana winds, which caused the fire to grow "rapidly and explosively" last week, will continue to influence weather conditions until Wednesday evening, with a red flag event in place across the whole of LA County
• But wind speeds are expected to ease after Wednesday evening, which should lead to more moderate conditions
• Fire officials have signalled that a larger number of crews on the ground means that flare ups have been more easily dealt with and crews have managed to prevent blazes from spreading further
• The LA County district attorney says 10 people have been arrestedon looting and arson charges
• The LA County sheriff department has warned residents in evacuation-ordered areas to comply with a curfew, which is in effect from 18:00 to 6:00 local time and is being "strictly enforced"

We are pausing our live coverage of the fires for now, but you can stay up to date on the latest below:

• LA braces for stronger winds as fires continue to burn
• A pink powder is being used to fight California fires. It's getting everywhere

• Watch: Moment man is saved from burning LA home
• Maps and images reveal scale of LA wildfire devastation
• Olympic swimmer Hall to get new medals to replace those lost in LA fires

Image source, Reuters

During a briefing earlier, President Joe Biden, Vice-President Kamala Harris and other administration officials, discussed the federal government's response to the California fires.

"I'm continuing to direct the federal government to do everything possible, everything (we) possibly can to help California," Biden said. But a "monumental task" remains he said, from clearing debris, distributing food and water, sending emergency payments to victims and more.

"(To) the people of Los Angeles, thank you for sticking together, for helping one another through an unimaginable loss," Biden said. "I want you to know we have no higher priority than the safety of you folks in Los Angeles."

Harris, who is from California and whose home in Los Angeles has been threatened by the blazes, called it a "dangerous and unprecedented crisis" and "truly heartbreaking".

She called on residents to remain "vigilant" over the next couple of days, as high-speed winds present an elevated risk for the fires to spread.

She praised the "acts of courage, heroism, building of community, people looking out for strangers" and "generosity of spirit" that have accompanied the disaster, thanking firefighters and other emergency responders for their "sacrifice" in battling the flames.

Lisa Lambert
US reporter

Image source, The Mountain Mermaid

Sitting on a hill in the small California community of Topanga, the 1930s country club now known as the Mountain Mermaid hosts weddings, parties, retreats and photo shoots, with guests staying overnight in accommodations such as "The Little Blue Bungalow".

It feels like the kind of place you might read about in a Raymond Chandler novel. In real life, mobster Mickey Cohen is said to have used the club as a brothel and gambling house in the 1940s.

When the fires started in Los Angeles last week, owner Bill Buerge - who has spent more than 30 years restoring and revitalising the Mermaid - says he did not even consider evacuating, even though flames from the Pacific Palisades blaze were only 10 miles (16km) away.

"Here's the deal: You leave Topanga, they won't let you back in," Bill Buerge tells me.

Buerge was ready to fight. He talks me through the fire-suppression system he has built around the Mermaid:

• A pool with 35,000 gallons of water, and a tank with an additional 5,000

• Two bunkers, one partly underground and one fully buried, with air filtration systems
• Sixteen big sprinklers, each one capable of spraying a half-acre

• A couple of power generators, and four gasoline and propane pumps

• Eight fire hydrants and an estimated 50 hoses

Gary O'Donoghue
Senior North America correspondent, reporting from Los Angeles

Earlier this afternoon, as my colleagues told you, thirteen members of the law enforcement community lined up on the podium at the district attorney's news conference in LA this afternoon - as he announced nine people were being charged with looting and burglary in connection with the fires.

The message from every single one of them - if you exploit this tragedy for your own benefit, we will throw the book at you.

After the news conference, the DA, Nathan Hochman, told me dozens more cases were in the pipeline.

Three of those arrested are accused of conducting looting goods worth more than $200,000. Another group allegedly stole an Emmy award from someone's home - Hochman told me law enforcement has managed to get it back.

California has a three-strikes law, which means some of those charged could get life in prison if they have previous convictions and are found guilty of these crimes.

Equally, prosecutors are focused on going after price gauging and internet scams that are targeting those who have already lost everything.

Provisions are in place that ban price rises of more than ten percent on essential expenditures, such as rent.

Captain Williams urges residents of evacuation-ordered areas to observe a curfew, which remains in place overnight between 18:00 to 6:00 local time.

He says so far, there have been 31 arrests for several violations, many of which are for curfew violations.

He says police are "strictly enforcing" the curfew and warns that those who violate it face a $1,000 (£818) fine and/or jail time.

Captain Jabari Williams of the LA County Sheriff's department says they are "making progress" regarding repopulating areas that have been downgraded from an evacuation order to an evacuation warning.

He explains all agencies that are assessing a certain evacuation area have to be "on board" before they decide to open it up.

He says one area was reopened yesterday, and another is expected to reopen later today.

Dennis Burns, who deals with fire behaviour management, says he doesn't expect the Eaton Fire to expand beyond its current footprint.

He says sources of heat have been kept away from the containment line, and crews have "easily" dealt with any flare ups. "Everything's holding in place," he says.

Speaking about possible winds worsening, Burns adds that with so many crews out, the potential for hotspots to flare up is "very minimal".

Now to an update on the Eaton Fire, the second-largest of the two blazes that has ravaged the northern part of Los Angeles.

In a community meeting streamed online, Los Angeles fire officials say the fire is still at 14,117 acres, and is still 33% contained.

Image source, Getty Images

Official updates from firefighters on the three blazes ripping through Los Angeles often describe a fire as being "contained" to a certain percentage - but what does this mean?

In brief, containment describes the progress firefighters make in controlling the spread of the flames.

It's often listed as a percentage - for example the most recent update on the massive Palisades fire has it as 14% contained.

This means fire crews have established barriers around just 14% of the fire's perimeter.

Natural barriers include roads, rivers and oceans. Firefighters can also create barriers using equipment such as bulldozers, hoses and shovels to remove vegetation down to the bare soil, meaning there is nothing for the fire to burn.

A fire being 100% contained doesn't mean it has been extinguished, but rather that the flames have been fully encircled and the spread has been effectively stopped.

Jim Hudson, deputy chief of CalFire, says there has been "very little fire growth" of the Palisades blaze today. However, he says it is important to remember "we are still under a red flag event", meaning conditions are set up for potential fire spread.

He says CalFire's priorities have been extinguishing any flare ups around structures, responding to any hotspots on the interior around structures and the building line for community protection.

Those priorities have been achieved, he adds.

Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, who is also speaking at the Palisades Fire press conference, gives an update on the weather conditions in the area.

He says the historic Santa Ana winds of last week allowed the fire to grow "rapidly and explosively".

He says the fire is still under the influence of the Santa Ana winds, which will continue to bring "critical weather conditions" to the area until Wednesday evening.

The critically dry brush, with no rain since April, make for treacherous conditions.

A red flag warning remains in effect until Wednesday evening.

Thompson adds, however, that weather conditions will moderate dramatically after Wednesday, with some respite expected from the Santa Ana winds later in the week.

Officials are giving an update on the Palisades fire - the largest of the Los Angeles wildfires.

Thomas Shoots, a spokesman for the state's CalFire authority, says that the blaze is still at 23,713 acres and is still only 14% contained.

He adds that more than 5,123 personnel are working on the incident.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles is warning of the potential for further "explosive fire growth".

How strong will the winds get?

The Santa Ana winds are set to strengthen again over the next few days. Winds blowing in from the east or north-east, are set to peak on Tuesday, with gusts up to 70mph (112km/h) possible.

What impact could the wind have on fires?

The Santa Ana wind is very dry. With humidity levels remaining low, further moisture will be stripped from vegetation making it easier to catch alight and more likely for the fires to spread rapidly.

How long will the Santa Ana winds last?

There is some good news here. Lighter winds are forecast to develop after Wednesday bringing a longer window than we've seen so far, for fire fighters to contain the remaining blazes.

Read more about the growth of the Santa Ana winds and how they may affect the fires.

Max Matza
Reporting from Los Angeles

I've just been speaking to newly-elected California Senator Adam Schiff outside a busy evacuation centre in Los Angeles.

I asked him if wildfires are becoming more politicised. "There has been people doing that since the moment fires started," he tells me.

Watch the full interview below.

If you're just joining us, LA authorities have been trying to send a strong message of deterrence by outlining a number of arrests and investigations into crimes linked to the wildfires.

• LA District Attorney Nathan Hochman said 10 people have been arrested - nine for looting and one for arson
• He showed videos of some of the suspects and outlined maximum sentences if the accused are convicted
• In some of the cases, under California's "three strikes" criminal law, alleged looters could be facing life in prison. The "three strikes" law means that repeat offenders can be sentenced 25 years to life after a third conviction

• The arson case, authorities say, is not linked to any of the major fires but was connected to a blaze started in a park that was extinguished
• Law enforcement also warned against price gouging, internet scams, and flying drones which can interfere with firefighting aircraft
• A number of investigations are ongoing and the LA county sheriff says more charges will be announced soon

Officials at the news conference were asked by reporters whether they can determine the root cause of the several fires that have burned throughout southern California in the last week.

US Attorney for the Central District of California, Martin Estrada, reiterates that the investigation is in its early stages, and that authorities are focusing on the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire in particular - the two largest.

He adds that he won't comment on the probes at this time.

The press conference has now come to an end.

In a response to a question about how many total looting arrests there have been, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna says it’s “extremely difficult” to get an exact number of burglary cases, particularly as there are areas where people haven't been able to go back in to.

“As we start repopulating these areas, we are going to start getting reports. I hope it’s not too many,” he says. He encourages residents to report any looting immediately.

US Attorney for the Central District of California, Martin Estrada, tells reporters that federal authorities are in the early stages of investigating the origin cause of the wildfires in southern California.

He says the team probing this includes highly experienced individuals from throughout the country.

"They get the job done and I am confident their investigation will bear fruit," Estrada says.

He adds that anyone who is found to have been responsible for starting any of the devastating fires will be held accountable under federal statutes.

Estrada also warns locals not to fly drones over fire areas, which he says is interfering with firefighters being able to do their jobs. This is illegal, he says, as airspaces above the fires are restricted.

He adds that his office is also keeping an eye out on "sophisticated fraudsters" who are taking advantage of the fires by stealing from relief funds, or are committing charity fraud by asking people to donate to "fake groups" that offer no help to those who are impacted.

Lastly, he appeals to the public for any tips that can help federal investigators narrow down how the fires started.

Authorities are emphasising that they’ll hold businesses who are hiking prices in response to the fires, and scammers who are preying on LA residents, accountable.

They’ve set up a hotline to report price gouging – residents are being encouraged to call in if they see any suspicious price hikes.

“We want to hold businesses accountable as well,” says Lindsay Horvath, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “We cannot take advantage of people who are suffering at this moment.”