Major brush fires burning in SoCal amid powerful windstorm

Five people have now died in the Eaton Fire, which continues to burn out of control near the Altadena and Pasadena areas.

L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed the death toll to Eyewitness News on Wednesday. During an early morning press conference, authorities had said there were two lives lost.

Five people have died in the Eaton Fire, which continues to burn near Altadena and Pasadena, Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed on Wednesday.

The sheriff emphasized the importance of leaving if you live in the evacuation zone.

"If you are under an evacuation order, please leave right away....I keep on repeating myself - I know it''s your home, but nothing is worth risking your life," he said. "If you're under an evacuation warning, get everything ready and be ready to go, because those winds are blowing. This is just so unpredictable, and we just don't want anyone else to get hurt."

The Eaton Fire erupted shortly after 6 p.m. on Tuesday and has since burned 10,600 acres with zero containment. View the fire evacuation maps here.

The Pacific Palisades fire is sweeping through neighborhoods at a devastating rate, and now, we're learning just how much of the area might be gone.

ABC7's Josh Haskell, who grew up in the community, believes 50 to 75% of Pacific Palisades is gone, adding that the number is not an exaggeration.

"I cannot explain the level of devastation that I just saw," he said. "My photographer and I are literally numb from driving."

While officials reported earlier in the morning that 1,000 structures had been destroyed, Haskell says that number is sure to increase, noting the entire business district -- including Ralph's, Starbucks, Gelson's -- is gone.

ABC7's Josh Haskell, who grew up in the community, believes 50 to 75% of Pacific Palisades is gone, adding that the number is not an exaggeration.

Here are all the wildfires burning in Southern California at a glance.

Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills area

- 43 acres

- Mandatory evacuations

Sunswept Fire in Studio City

• No official containment numbers as if Thursday at 2:30 a.m.

• Firefighters remain on scene to fight flare-ups

Eaton Fire in San Gabriel Valley

- 10,590 acres
- 972 structures destroyed
- 5 deaths

Palisades Fire

- 17,234 acres

- 1,000 structures burned

Hurst Fire in Sylmar

- 855 acres

- 10% contained

Lidia Fire in Acton area

- 348 acres

- 40% contained

Woodley Fire in Sepulveda Basin

- 30 acres, contained

Tyler Fire

- 11 acres, contained

A local ER nurse was doing all she could to save her 90-year-old parents' home in Hastings Ranch as the Eaton Fire ravaged the area.

With garden hose in hand, a local ER nurse tried her best to protect her 90-year-old parents' Hastings Ranch home. She expressed frustration that their insurance company had recently canceled their fire coverage shortly before the Eaton Fire erupted.

Amid the firestorm, she expressed frustration that her elderly parents' insurance company had recently canceled their fire coverage.

"I know I'm not supposed to be here, but this is my parents' home. They just got canceled from their fire insurance. So they're dealing with this...They're 90 years old. They've lived in this house for 75 years. They've had the same insurance, and these insurance people decided to cancel their fire. And we're going through this. And it just happened. And they have no fire insurance. Thank you California insurance companies for supporting residents who pay taxes and love California. They wonder why people leave California," she said.

She was hosing down the property with a garden hose late Tuesday evening, determined to prevent it from burning to the ground like the home just across the street, which was fully engulfed in flames.

"There are no words to even describe how heartbreaking ... that's a life. That's your entire life. You don't get that back. The memories are gone. I hope they're alive," she said, wiping away tears.