Los Angeles, California - At least 24 people have died as major fires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area amid what is already shaping up to be one of the worst natural disasters in US history.

Sixteen of the fatalities are related to the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, and eight others to the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades district.

There have been several major fires in the region since Tuesday, but these two are the most severe.

Officials believe the death toll may continue to rise, since it may take days before emergency services can safely access all areas impacted by the fires.

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The US weather service forecast wind speeds of up to 60 miles per hour for the next three days, which, combined with dry vegetation, favors the rapid and unpredictable spread of both existing and new fires.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) warned of "critical fire weather" through to Wednesday.

"Life-threatening winds and dangerously low humidity are forecast for much of Southern California – from Ventura to San Diego – creating a significant risk of rapid fire spread," the department wrote on X.

It warned the wind would increase fire activity and urged people to avoid mowing their lawns and parking their vehicles on dry grass and to ensure all campfires were extinguished.

According to Cal Fire officials, some 12,300 buildings have been destroyed or damaged. Since Tuesday, over 37,000 acres of land have gone up in flames.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking to NBC, said the wildfires would be the worst natural disaster in US history, in terms of the "scale and scope," as well as the costs it has caused.

Newsom went on to sign an executive order to temporarily suspend environmental regulations for destroyed homes and businesses.

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"Just issued an Executive Order that will allow victims of the SoCal fires to not get caught up in bureaucratic red tape and quickly rebuild their homes," he wrote on X.

According to a preliminary estimate by the private US weather service AccuWeather, the fires have caused more than $135 billion in damage.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was among the Hollywood actors living in and around areas impacted by the fires.

"Don’t worry about me, or my animals, and certainly not my house," the film star and former governor of California said, asking fans to think instead of the "heroic firefighters."

As the fires rage on, attention has increasingly turned to the people fighting them, among them several hundred incarcerated people being paid a maximum of $10 a day for grueling, dangerous work trying to contain the blaze.

Among those calling for an end to the exploitation is Kim Kardashian, who called on Newsome to increase payment "to a rate that honors a human being risking their life to save our lives and homes."