(FOX 9) - The major wildfires in California have ripped through thousands of acres of land in Los Angeles, destroying thousands of homes and leaving at least five people dead.
The size of the fires
What we know:
As of Wednesday afternoon, authorities estimated the Palisades and Eaton fires had grown to 26,000 acres combined. The Palisades fire (15,000 acres) is burning in a neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles while the Eaton firing is burning on the north side of Pasadena.
To give perspective to Minnesotans on the sheer size of the blaze, the acreage of the Eaton fire would cover much of the City of Minneapolis and the Palisades fire would cover most of the heart of the City of St. Paul.
The fires have exploded in size over the course of 24 hours, with each growing from about two dozen acres on Tuesday morning to more than 11,000 acres by Wednesday afternoon.
The grids show the approximate size of the California wildfires laid over the Twin Cities. Obviously, the wildfires aren't burning as perfect squares. (FOX 9)
Wildfires forecast
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California wildfires put in perspective
Ian Leonard looks at weather across the country, including the devastation in California from the wildfires.
What's next:
The strong winds that are fueling the fire are expected to ease some on Thursday, which will hopefully give firefighters a chance to start containing the massive blazes.