Orange smoke from the Palisades Fire rose above homes in San Fernando Valley.

Footage shows the massive plume looming over the fire that razed neighbourhoods when the first evacuation warnings for Tarzana and Encino were raised on January 10.

Los Angeles Fire Department issued additional evacuation alerts for Brentwood, extending to the 405 Freeway that includes the Skirball and Getty Centres. Both cultural landmarks remain shuttered, with plans to reopen on January 15 and 16, respectively.

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'.