The death toll from the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area has risen to 16 as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze that threatens the city’s most famous landmarks.

New evacuation orders were placed as firefighters raced against time to stop the fires from spreading before potentially strong winds returned.

The fires that began on Tuesday just north of downtown Los Angeles have scorched tens of thousands of acres and more than 12,000 structures.

Firefighters for the first time made progress on Friday afternoon on the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena, which has burned more than 7,000 structures, a term that includes homes, apartment buildings, businesses, outbuildings and vehicles.

No cause has been determined for the largest fires and early estimates indicate the wildfires could be the nation’s costliest ever. A preliminary estimate by AccuWeather put the damage and economic losses so far between $135bn and $150bn.

Below are some of the satellite images showing the widespread destruction: