Terrified residents caught in blazing neighbourhoods, influencers ignoring the ban on drones and the frightening unpredictability of the wildfires are just some of what journalists covering the fires ravaging Los Angeles for AFP have had to manage.

Last Thursday, they rolled into Los Angeles at 2 a.m. to assist in the southern part of the state. One of their white fire trucks stood out among the many red ones parked in the shadow of the famous Rose Bowl football stadium,

More than a week into what could be the costliest wildfires in U.S. history, weary and anxious Los Angeles-area residents were hoping for a favorable shift in the winds expected Thursday and an end to the constant fear that their lives might be further upended.