Out-of-control wildfires are ripping across parts of Los Angeles, leading to at least five deaths, burning down hundreds of buildings, and prompting more than 130,000 people to flee their homes in America's second-largest city.

As residents in the Los Angeles area grapple with the ongoing realities of the devastating wildfires ravaging the densely populated metropolis nestled between the Pacific Ocean and mountain ranges, several iconic landmarks and beloved local institutions have fallen victim to the flames.

Firefighters battled Thursday to control a series of major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed seven people, burned at least 10,000 structures from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their homes.