The mayor's office told Newsweek on Friday that "The priority remains fighting these fires and protecting Angelenos."

At least 27 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.

Coverage of the Eaton and Palisades fires, including stories about the unprecedented losses, issues firefighters faced and the winds.

The massive Palisades Fire broke out in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, prompting mandatory evacuations affecting tens of thousands of people and highway closures. Later Tuesday, the Eaton Fire broke out in the foothills of Pasadena on the other side of Los Angeles County.

Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 25 people. The Palisades and Eaton fires continue to burn in Southern California.

At least 16 people have died in the California wildfires, as crews have begun to make some progress in containing the four blazes in Los Angeles County—though strong winds forecast for Sunday threaten to intensify the fires.

Emergency declarations from the city, county and state are aimed to speed funding and resources to battle the local fires

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing backlash for being abroad in Ghana during a devastating wildfire crisis in Southern California ... Fire burning in Altadena-Pasadena area as blaze keeps ...

Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate, Rick Caruso, made a heartbreaking admission about the devastating wildfires on HBO 's Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday.

A day after firefighters got a reprieve with lighter winds than expected, gusts were hitting up to 35 mph (56 kph) on the coast and valleys and 55 mph (88 kph) in the mountains before dawn, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Hall said.

Two people were arrested for arson in separate incidents just outside the fire zone on Wednesday, according to the LAPD. In one incident, a citizen extinguished a fire in a tree and detained an arson suspect, police said. That suspect admitted to starting the fire because he "liked the smell of burning leaves," police said.