A law enforcement task force has been set up to uncover what caused the fires. The local agencies involved — the Los Angeles fire and police departments and the county Sheriff’s Department, as well as Cal Fire — are considered to be among the most skilled in the country. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the probe.

Dozens of people are believed to have died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have burned down whole swaths of communities

Before one of the most destructive fires in California history swept through, the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Los Angeles' west side was filled with expensive homes fronted by green, well-tended landscaping and popular boutiques and cafes.