Firefighters tackled the blaze that engulfed homes in Palisades, California.

Footage shows the emergency responders from Ventura County Fire Department dousing water over the burning properties in Los Angeles on January 9.

The department said: 'Our firefighters continue their tireless efforts to help serve our neighbouring communities in their time of need.'

It added they deployed two Type-1 strike teams, two specialised hand crews, and a mixed strike team of Type-1 engines in collaboration with Ventura City Fire, Oxnard Fire, and Fillmore Fire Department.

The Palisades Fire is believed to have started in the backyard of the upscale Pacific Palisades Highlands neighbourhood that overlooked the coast between Malibu and Santa Monica.

It rapidly rolled over the mountainside and reached surrounding communities, whipped by 60mph winds, with the death toll rising to 16 as of January 12.

More than 153,000 people have been evacuated in Los Angeles. Another 166,000 are under evacuation warnings as the wildfire, regarded as one of the most destructive in the county's history, threatened to reach them.

California's Democrat governor Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure in some hydrants, which hampered firefighting efforts during the peak of the crisis.

However, President Trump pointed out that throughout 2024 he had made repeated warnings about the water issues in California, which he blamed Newsom for.

Speaking in September 2024, he warned that fires were being caused by state officials in California mismanaging irrigation and water supply, leading to dry conditions ripe for wildfires to spread.

He reiterated the criticism this week, slamming Governor Newsom for 'refusing to sign the water restoration declaration' in order to protect a 'worthless fish'.