Nearly a dozen people are believed to be dead -- with the Los Angeles County sheriff saying he expects that number to rise -- as devastating fires spread across Southern California amid dry and windy conditions,

Though the Palisades and Eaton fires are smaller, they rank high in structures burned. Combined, they would equal the second-most destructive California wildfire in history, with more than 9,000 structures burned, according to early Cal Fire estimates. A more detailed analysis of the total number of destroyed structures is still underway.

A brush fire broke out Tuesday near the Pacific Palisades, a coastal neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles, and quickly exploded.