A firefighting helicopter dropped water on the Palisades Fire raging in California.

Footage by Ermias shows the aircraft flying over the inferno, with a massive plume of smoke billowing into the sky on January 11.

Ermias said: 'View of Palisades Fire from Encino. They're pounding the fire but winds keep it alive over the ridge. People are really devastated in the Palisades, Malibu, and Altadena.

'Pray for these people and the fire crews.'

Southern California is being battered by multiple major fires, including the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, the Eaton Fire in Pasadena, and the Sunset Fire in Hollywood Hills.

The largest, which is 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.

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office reported at least 24 deaths, including eight from the Palisades Fire and 16 from the Eaton Fire.

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'.