The state is seeing a sharp water divide this year, with lots of rain in the north while the south has stayed dry. A hydrologist explains what’s happening.

By Jorge Garcia and Rollo Ross LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west devoured nearly 10,000 homes and other structures, burning into a third night on Thursday even as the fierce winds eased and gave firefighters a welcome but temporary respite.

Rows of cars at a dealership, blasted by flames, looked like they had been bombed. A man wearing a mask walked by debris of a neighborhood destroyed. A couple, arms around each other, looked at what was left of their smoldering home. A statue of a human, without a head, lay on a street.

Multiple major wildfires are leaving a trail of destruction and death in the Los Angeles area.A handful of wildfires that kicked up Tuesday, powered by high winds and dry conditions, have exploded in size.

Southern California is being ravaged by wildfires exacerbated by the Santa Ana winds, with many parts of the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in Los Angeles under evacuation orders. A windstorm affecting the region has merged with dry conditions and a lack of rainfall in several months to create conditions sufficient for an outbreak of wildfires.