At least 24 dead, 16 missing in Los Angeles wildfires and the worst might be yet to come

Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office said in a statement Sunday evening that eight of the deaths were attributed to the Palisades Fire and 16 to the Eaton Fire.

Officials said they expected that figure to increase as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in levelled neighbourhoods.

Meanwhile, 16 people are missing, and authorities said that number was expected to rise. Authorities have established a centre where people can report the missing.

Forecasters warned of dangerous weather, with strong winds returning this week. According to Weather Service meteorologist Rich Thompson, Tuesday will be the most dangerous day.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for severe fire conditions through Wednesday, with sustained winds of 80 kph and gusts in the mountains reaching 110 kph.

Officials were also building an online database to allow evacuated residents to see if their homes were damaged or destroyed.

In the meantime, LA city Fire Chief Kristin Crowley urged people to keep away from scorched neighbourhoods.