• A 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar on March 29, destroying the city of Mandalay.
• More than 1,600 people are confirmed dead after the earthquake, Myanmar's military said on Saturday.
• Satellite photos show the destruction of dozens of collapsed buildings and Buddhist Pagodas.

A massive earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday, causing widespread destruction and over 1,600 causalities.

The Red Cross said several cities in central Myanmar were damaged in the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, including Mandalay, where buildings have toppled, roads are fractured, and a bridge has collapsed. The rumbles were also felt in Thailand's capital city, Bangkok.

Myanmar's military council said the country's death toll has reached 1,644 and counted over 3,400 injured civilians, according to BBC's Burmese news service. An alert issued by the US Geological Survey on Friday estimated that the death toll would surpass 10,000.

The earthquake has prompted several countries to offer humanitarian aid, including Russia and China. President Donald Trump said the US will also assist Myanmar, the outlet reported.

Satellite images collected by Maxar, an American space technologies company, show the Mandalay region before and after the earthquake.

A neighborhood of shacks and buildings in Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay

Around 1.5 million people live in Mandalay, where the United Nations said the internet connection is currently down.

Much of Myanmar has been embroiled in a civil war since 2021 when military authorities staged a government coup. Despite the ongoing tensions, the military has requested international emergency assistance.

The National Unity Group, which opposes Myanmar's military government, announced a temporary pause on military offenses, excluding defensive actions, to help with rescue operations.

Neighborhoods with dozens of buildings were completely destroyed in Mandalay after the earthquake

Over 2,400 buildings were damaged amid the earthquake, the United Nations said.

"Around 1,690 houses, 670 monasteries, 60 schools, and three bridges are reported to be damaged, with concerns for the structural integrity of large-scale dams," the organization said.

The United Nations said health partners will deploy mobile surgical and medical teams — in addition to field hospitals — to affected areas "to deliver life and limb-saving medical interventions to earthquake victims."

The Mahamuni Pagoda is in the city of Mandalay

The Buddhist pagoda is found in Mandalay and is known for housing a large, gold Buddha statue.

Rescue teams are searching for more than 100 missing monks in the debris of the Mahamuni Pagoda, local reports say

The pagoda sustained damage from the earthquake.

More than 270 monks were gathered at the Mahamuni Pagoda in Mandalay when the earthquake began, according to Nation Thailand, an English language daily newspaper in bordering Thailand.

An athletic field area in Mandalay.

Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government said in a statement posted on X that "numerous homes, buildings, pagodas, mosques, temples, schools, and bridges collapsed," resulting in thousands of deaths.

The collapsed pagodas and athletic field are now possibly being used as possible relief area

Several countries, including Russia and China, have sent relief efforts to Myanmar, The Associated Press reported.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said $5 million has been allocated for "life-saving assistance," according to the AP report.

The Ma Shi Kha Na pagoda in Sagaing, Myanmar before the earthquake

The Buddhist pagoda is in Sagaing, a city east of Mandalay.

The Ma Shi Kha Na pagoda and surrounding buildings collapsed

Following the earthquake, the Associated Press reported that Myanmar's military government conducted three airstrikes in the country. The United Nations said one airstrike impacted the Sagaing region.

A bridge over the Irrawaddy River before the earthquake.

The Irrawaddy River separates the Sagaing region and the Mandalay region in Myanmar.

The Inwa bridge collapsed after the earthquake

The earthquake caused the bridge to collapse into the Irrawaddy River and fracture in several places.

• Los Angeles is bracing for high winds that could worsen ongoing wildfires.
• The fires have burned more than 40,500 acres and destroyed 12,300 structures. Authorities reported 24 dead.
• Evacuation orders are in effect for more than 92,000 people as fires threaten more areas.

After nearly a week of wildfires ravaging Los Angeles, the area is bracing for worsening conditions as high winds on Monday threaten to spread the flames.

The fires have burned through more than 40,500 acres in and around Los Angeles County, displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, and killed at least 24 people. More than 12,300 structures have been destroyed, local authorities have said.

Firefighters made some progress containing the blazes over the weekend — the Palisades Fire, the largest, is 14% contained, and the Eaton Fire, the second-largest, is 33% contained as of Monday afternoon, according to Cal Fire, a state agency.

Cal Fire reported that a new blaze, the Auto Fire, had broken out in Ventura County on Monday night. As of press time, the fire had burned through 56 acres and was 0% contained.

Strong Santa Ana winds are forecast to pick up again Tuesday, with gusts up to 75 miles an hour creating "extremely dangerous fire weather conditions" across coastal southern California, the National Weather Service said.

The NWS said these high winds have the potential to cause widespread power outages, worsen existing firefighting efforts, and make the ignition of new fires much more likely.

The NWS issued a "particularly dangerous situation red flag warning" for parts of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties through Wednesday. The red flag warning signals fire danger. Though the winds aren't expected to reach the same highs as last week, they still pose "a high risk for large fires with potential for very rapid spreading of any fires that may develop."

The fires are predicted to become the worst natural disaster in US history, and the death toll will likely rise, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday.

"I think it will be in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope," Newsom told NBC. "I've got search-and-rescue teams out. We've got cadaver dogs out. And there's likely to be a lot more."

Around 92,000 people near the Palisades and Eaton fires are under evacuation orders, and another 89,000 are under evacuation warnings, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a Monday morning press conference.

Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area north of Santa Monica has burned through over 23,700 acres and was 14% contained as of Monday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.

The cause of the fire, which started on Tuesday morning, is still under investigation. It threatens to spread into Brentwood, Encino, and Westwood.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has reported eight deaths tied to the Palisades fire so far.

Eaton Fire

The Eaton Fire, which has devastated parts of Pasadena and Altadena since it began on Tuesday, has now burned through more than 14,100 acres, according to Cal Fire. It is 33% contained as of Monday afternoon.

"In my career, I've never seen the amount of devastation and destruction that exists here. So, a lot of work. It's going to be long-term," Ernie Villa, an operations section chief for the California Interagency Incident Management Team, said at a Sunday press conference.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has reported 16 deaths tied to the Eaton fire so far.

Hurst Fire and others

The Hurst Fire, which began late Tuesday night in the northern part of the San Fernando Valley, spread to 799 acres and is 97% contained as of Monday evening, Cal Fire said.

Though the fire has been mostly controlled, Los Angeles City's Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned Monday morning, "We are not in the clear as of yet." She added, "We must not let our guard down, as we have right now extreme fire behavior."

The most recent fire, the Auto Fire in Ventura County, started late Monday night. According to Cal Fire, it has spread over 56 acres and is 0% contained as of press time.

Several other fires have also sparked over the last week, together burning more than 1,400 acres.

The Kenneth Fire erupted at the Victory Trailhead near the border of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties on Thursday, burning just over 1,000 acres before it was fully contained.

The Sunset Fire broke out in the Runyon Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday, quickly spreading to scorch over 40 acres and threaten major LA landmarks before it was fully suppressed.

A large structure fire consumed two large homes in the Studio City area but firefighters were able to stop its forward growth at just one acre and prevent another brushfire, Crowley said.

Yet another fire, the Lidia Fire, started Wednesday in Acton near the Antelope Valley, about 20 miles northeast of the San Fernando Valley. It consumed 395 acres but is now 100% contained, according to CalFire.

The Woodley Fire, which began Wednesday in the southern part of the San Fernando Valley, burned 30 acres before it was contained.

Bad actors are taking advantage of the situation by looting

LA officials have reported instances of looting, burglary, and other crimes in wildfire-ravaged areas.

Luna, LA County's sheriff, said at Monday's press conference that his officers have made 34 total arrests — 30 in the Eaton Fire area and 4 in the Palisades Fire area.

Those arrests were related to burglary, looting, illegal drone operations, people entering restricted areas with guns and narcotics, and curfew violations, Luna said.

LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said Monday that his officers had made an additional 14 arrests related to the fires — for things like felony vandalism, impersonating a firefighter, possession of burglary tools, and shoplifting.

In at least one instance, which is under investigation, an individual near the scene of the Palisades fire wore a firefighting jacket and helmet in the course of an attempted burglary, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said during a Monday afternoon press conference.

"This behavior is despicable. We cannot tolerate it, and as we continue to help people heal through this suffering, we cannot allow people to pray on the devastation that has already happened," Horvath said. "And I want to be clear that goes not only for individuals who are preying on these locations, but also for the corporations and the businesses and the price gouging and the ways that they're taking advantage of people in this very difficult moment."

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office had already seen instances of price gouging for medical supplies and hotels, as well as landlords overcharging above the legal limit. During a state of emergency, businesses are prohibited from raising their prices on essential goods and services above 10% beyond what's normal.

"For the criminals who view this as an opportunity, let me again give you this warning, an absolutely unmistakably clear warning, that if you go ahead and you want to rip off people and the system and governments that are trying to help the people who have suffered from these tragedies, you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted, and we will seek maximum punishment against you," Hochman said Monday.

Jason Oppenheim, the star of "Selling Sunset" who co-runs real estate brokerage the Oppenheim Group, has also reported seeing landlords engaging in suspected price gouging.

Hochman also urged residents to be vigilant against scams related to the recovery efforts, like possibly fake GoFundMe fundraisers and insurance scams.

California's insurance crisis will only grow

The devastating fires this week will likely only worsen California's ongoing insurance crisis, where many homebuyers already struggle to get approved for loans, home insurance, and fire insurance — even in areas outside the typical risk zones.

And while some insurance companies have stopped signing new policies in the region entirely, there are other ways companies try to cut down on disaster payouts.

Some companies go so far as to hire private firms to protect their policyholders' homes, both before a fire breaks out and after it has passed.

David Torgerson, the CEO of Wildfire Defense Systems, previously told Business Insider that his company partners with dozens of carriers to seek to protect homes before they are in the line of fire — and that his employees have been "actively working" to help combat the LA wildfires.

"We are typically working hours in advance, or days in advance of the fire passing over a property, and we call that the pre-suppression," Torgerson told BI. "We're preparing the property to survive the amount of time that the fire is in proximity to the structure, and then we quickly come back in after the fire is passed to secure the property."

His company takes proactive steps to fire-proof homes, like applying fire-blocking gels, removing flammable materials, cleaning out gutters, and running sprinkler systems, according to a company fact sheet. After a fire has passed through a neighborhood, Torgerson's staff go back to insured homes to extinguish remaining spot fires and assess further risk, he said.

And while some homeowners pay high premiums for special fire protection perks, it's not only the wealthy whose homes are protected by these services.

Celebrities and many others have lost their homes

The Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles has long been a draw for celebrities. Some Hollywood stars lost their homes in the Palisades Fire.

Paris Hilton, Milo Ventimiglia, Billy Crystal, Mel Gibson, Miles Teller, and Anthony Hopkins all said the fire had destroyed their houses.

Of course, not everyone in the area is a celebrity. One 22-year-old renter told Business Insider that she'd had to evacuate her apartment in the Pacific Palisades — and feared that everything could be lost after seeing news footage showing buildings on her street that had burned.

A journalist and her husband and their two daughters told BI they evacuated their Palisades home on January 7 — only to find out later that the fires destroyed everything. They're now staying in a hotel.

Meanwhile, an $83 million mansion that had been featured in HBO's "Succession" also was destroyed.

LAX is open, as is Disneyland — but some attractions are closed

Los Angeles International Airport is open and is "operating normally," the airport said.

LAX has remained open throughout the fires, though over the weekend, around 500 flights were delayed, and around 13 were canceled.

The airport said customers should check with their airline to make sure there are no issues before starting their journeys.

Los Angeles attracts around 50 million tourists each year — and visitors to the area will find some things aren't open. Disneyland was open as of Monday, as was Universal Studios Hollywood. Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Hollywood said it would be closed through Tuesday.

The famous Griffith Park and its Griffith Observatory were both listed as closed through at least Wednesday. And Lake Hollywood Park, a city park beneath the famed Hollywood sign, also was closed.

The Getty Center said it would be closed through Thursday. The Getty Villa survived the Palisades fire.

The Santa Monica Pier was open, but warned of air-quality issues on its website. AccuWeather listed the air quality in the area as "poor" as of Monday morning local time.

This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.

• Wildfires are ravaging the Los Angeles area, spreading rapidly due to dry and windy conditions.
• The fires have burned through over 40,000 acres. Officials report that at least 24 people have died.
• Analysts estimate damages caused by the fires may top $50 billion — breaking previous state records.

Across Los Angeles, a series of wildfires fanned by the powerful Santa Ana winds have been leveling homes in the area for nearly a week, leaving a path of record-breaking destruction in their wake.

The largest of the fires, ripping through the wealthy enclave of the Pacific Palisades, was just 13% contained as of late Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

On Sunday, it was moving toward the densely populated neighborhood of Encino in the San Fernando Valley.

About 30 miles northeast, the Eaton Fire, which is now 27% contained, is threatening the city of Altadena.

Over 40,000 acres have burned in four separate blazes, and the LA County Medical Examiner has reported 24 deaths related to the fires so far.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Sunday the fires would likely be the worst natural disaster in US history, noting that the death toll is expected to rise.

"I think it will be in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope," Newsom told NBC's Meet the Press. "I've got search and rescue teams out. We've got cadaver dogs out. And there's likely to be a lot more."

Los Angeles Sheriff Robert Luna said during a Sunday morning press conference that over 100,000 residents near the Palisades and Eaton fires are now under evacuation orders, and authorities have told another 87,000 to be ready to leave at any time.

The National Weather Service said in a Monday update that "extremely dangerous fire weather conditions" were due to develop across coastal southern California, with gusts of up to 70 mph by Tuesday.

It issued a high wind warning early Sunday morning for the mountain areas near the Hurst and Eaton fires, and a high wind watch for the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area from Monday evening to Wednesday afternoon.

"We're expecting north, northeast wind gusts anywhere from 35 to 55 miles per hour, maybe locally stronger on Tuesday, very low humidity, and again, the vegetation is still very, very dry," NWS meteorologist Rich Thompson said during a Sunday afternoon press conference.

"That leads a recipe to produce some very critical fire weather conditions," he added.

Dennis Burns, a fire behavior analyst for the California Incident Management Team, said during a Sunday press conference that, in addition to fanning the existing flames, the anticipated winds over the coming days increase the risk of new fires breaking out.

"With the predicted winds, we could potentially see spot fires up to two miles away, maybe even farther," Burns said.

A representative for the electric services company Southern California Edison said on Sunday that around 63,000 residences were without power, a number that has grown due to implementing power shut-offs for public safety.

Local water districts have also issued numerous water advisories, warning residents not to drink or use the water, which may be contaminated with debris from the fire.

Moderate air pollution has also been reported in many parts of LA.

Amid the devastation, residents have also faced opportunistic looters targeting empty properties, inaccurate evacuation orders sent out in error through the county's emergency alert system, and rapidly spreading misinformation online regarding evacuation zones and the cause of the fire.

Analysts from JPMorgan have estimated that the blazes tearing through the region may lead to about $50 billion in total economic losses — including over $20 billion in insured losses.

If the estimates prove to be accurate, the damage caused by the current fires would be significantly more severe than the 2018 Camp Fires, which racked up $10 billion in insured losses.

California has, in recent years, been subject to a mass exodus of major insurers, including State Farm. The company announced in 2023 that it would stop accepting new home insurance policies in the state, citing risks from catastrophes.

Palisades Fire

The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area north of Santa Monica has burned through over 23,700 acres and was 13% contained as of late Sunday, according to Cal Fire.

The cause of the fire, which started on Tuesday morning, is still under investigation.

Over 5,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Officials have confirmed that more than 420 homes in Malibu and the Pacific Palisades have been incinerated.

The wealthy enclave houses many celebrities who have now lost their homes, including Paris Hilton, Billy Crystal, and Milo Ventimiglia.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office has reported eight deaths related to the Palisades fire so far.

Eaton Fire

The Eaton Fire, which has impacted the Pasadena-Altadena area since it began on Tuesday, has now swept through more than 14,100 acres, according to Cal Fire. The blaze is 27% contained.

"The firefighters have made good progress coming up the west side of the shoulder of the fire," Ernie Villa, an operations section chief for the California Interagency Incident Management Team, said during a Sunday afternoon press conference.

However, as wind conditions are expected to worsen in the coming days, firefighters will have their work cut out for them to keep the area safe, he said.

"In my career, I've never seen the amount of devastation and destruction that exists here. So a lot of work. It's going to be long-term," Villa added.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a press conference on Sunday morning that more than 7,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed by the Eaton Fire.

Sixteen deaths have so far been attributed to the Eaton Fire, according to a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office report.

Other fires

While the Palisades and Eaton fires have grown to be the largest in size, additional smaller fires have been reported throughout the region.

The Hurst Fire, impacting the northern part of the San Fernando Valley, started late Tuesday night and spread to about 800 acres. According to Cal Fire, it was 95% contained as of late Sunday.

Evacuation orders for the area were lifted on Thursday afternoon.

The Kenneth Fire, now 100% contained, has covered just over 1,050 acres across Los Angeles and Ventura counties after starting on Thursday, per Cal Fire. The evacuation orders related to the blaze have been lifted.

Further North, the Lidia Fire broke out Wednesday in the Angeles National Forest and burned 395 acres in three days before being 100% contained, Cal Fire said.

• Mom Lisa Ward lives in Topanga, between Palisades and Malibu, where the LA wildfires are raging.
• Her family was horrified when they saw TV images of their local high school burning to the ground.
• While her 17-year-old won't get the graduation he hoped for, his priority is to help homeless friends.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lisa Ward, 59, a stay at home mom from Topanga, California. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Our family is sheltering in Topanga, a canyon region between Palisades and Malibu that is being ravaged by California wildfires.

The generator turns on and off at random, but we're glued to the local TV news whenever we can be. On Tuesday — when the fires struck our area — my oldest son, Luc, 19, jumped up from the couch.

"That's the high school," he shouted, pointing to the footage of the flames and billowing smoke consuming the campus. "There's the locker building, the baseball field, and the football stadium — they're all burning."

We were in shock. We'd been in the stadium for Luc's graduation from Palisades Charter High School in 2023 and were proudly looking forward to sitting in the bleachers for his 17-year-old brother Cole's graduation in June.

Our youngest, Theo, 15, began as a freshman there last September.

It was terrible to see the campus ablaze, though we knew it wasn't as horrific as watching someone's home burn down. A few minutes earlier, Luc's girlfriend, Nikola, 19, had spotted her condo building on fire around a mile away from the school.

She sobbed in my arms. We later found out she'd lost everything except the bag of clothes she'd grabbed before evacuating. The branches of the trees were in flames as she ran to the car.

My son asked about his graduation and prom

Cole, our senior, was on a snowboarding trip with some classmates in Mammoth Mountain, a five-hour drive from Topanga. They found out about what happened to the high school on social media.

"I won't get my graduation ceremony at Pali High, will I?" Cole asked me. "Or prom?"

"No," I replied as gently as I could. I don't think you will." He had gone to his brother's graduation, and it had been an enormous thing. Cole is a linebacker on the school football team, which plays a huge role in the celebration.

Some people in his cohort have already had their pictures taken for the senior graduating yearbook in their formal dresses and suits. But this year's book can't be finished. The photo lab where they do it has gone.

I could tell Cole was upset, but he's a kid who puts things into perspective. It's best not to have a school than a home. Of the six kids who went to Mammoth Mountain, only two of them — including Cole — still had homes. We've told them that there'll always be a bed for them here as long as we're not evacuated.

Everyone is on edge as we worry about our houses. We haven't really had a chance to think about what classes will look like this year.

But Cole and Theo have been told they will start online schooling before the high school figures out how to relocate about 3,000 kids to other places.

The kids can't really process the events

Remote learning during the pandemic was a nightmare for everyone, particularly Theo, who suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was younger. We didn't get through a single day without tears. The social isolation also affected the kids.

As for the here and now, they can't absorb what's going on. When you watch the fires on the news, the images are so shocking that they don't seem real. I can see it in their faces. "My darlings," I told them. "I don't think the human brain can process this because so much has gone in such a short space of time."

I'm a big communicator, even when the boys don't like it. Sometimes, I'll talk and hear nothing back, but I don't stop. I'm constantly checking in on them to tell them that I love them.