Most of the more than 40 available engines could have been pre-deployed to fire zones before the Palisades blaze started, while others were kept at stations to help with the increase in 911 calls.

Los Angeles fire bosses opted not to deploy 1,000 available firefighters and more than 40 water-carrying engines until after one of the wildfires was burning out of control — even as extreme warnings were coming in about life-threatening winds,

The Los Angeles wildfires have devastated most of the Pacific Palisades area, with over 130,000 people forced to evacuate, with flames only being fuelled further by strong winds. The death toll has risen to 25 and the combined area burnt by the fires around Los Angeles is reportedly about 60 square miles.