LOS ANGELES (NEXSTAR) — Firefighters are racing to contain a new wildfire that broke out close to homes in the area of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, northwest of Los Angeles, on Thursday afternoon. The Kenneth Fire has grown to 50 acres as it burns along a historic fire corridor dangerously close to homes in the Mountain View neighborhood, KTLA's helicopter footage shows. At least five people are confirmed dead, roughly 180,000 people are under evacuation orders and thousands of structures have burned down. The death toll is expected to grow, authorities say. During a press conference Thursday afternoon, President Biden addressed the country during a roundtable meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and a number of emergency response officials. ‘Thousands’ of structures destroyed in Palisades Fire, officials say Biden said he was making federal resources available and has approved additional funding to help California battle the devastating fires, saying they were the “worst fires to ever hit Los Angeles. Ever.” The new funding will cover 100% of the cost for 180 days for hazardous materials removal, temporary shelters, first responder salaries and measures to protect life, he said. “We’re sticking with this,” Biden said. “We expect there may be a temporary break in the winds, but in some areas, the winds are likely to continue well into next week.” Biden also addressed reports of fire hydrants going dry during the Palisades blaze, saying Gov. Gavin Newsom had informed him that utilities shut off power to prevent downed lines from sparking new fires. When water pumps lost power, pressure fell. Biden said that generators would be put in place to keep the pumps running in the future. Eaton Fire victim dies holding a hose, defending home Firefighters make progress but wind continues Crews were able to knock down a major threat that broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, close to the heart of the entertainment industry, and by morning had lifted an evacuation order for the area. “While we are still facing significant threats, I am hopeful that the tide is turning,” LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said during a news conference Thursday morning. A beachfront property is damaged by the Palisades Fire Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)Firefighters work from a deck as the Palisades Fire burns a beach front property Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)Firefighters work from a deck as the Palisades Fire burns a beachfront property Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)Firefighters team up to battle the Eaton Fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)Beach front homes are destroyed by the Palisades Fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Megan Mantia, left, and her boyfriend Thomas, only first game given, return to Mantia's fire-damaged home after the Eaton Fire swept through the area, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)The Palisades Fire burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia) Water dropped from aircraft helped fire crews quickly seize control of the fires in the Hollywood Hills and Studio City, LA Mayor Karen Bass said. Much of the widespread destruction around the city occurred after those aircraft were grounded due to high winds. Major wind gusts still posed a danger Thursday, but the weather forecast could provide an opportunity for firefighters to make progress in reining in blazes that have killed at least five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and caused thousands of people to frantically flee their homes. Flare-ups overnight illuminated the Santa Monica Mountains above Pacific Palisades. The toll from the fires is still being calculated. LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said the Palisades Fire along the coast burned thousands of structures. “It is safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” she said. The number of dead is also expected to rise now that cadaver dogs and search crew are beginning to search the rubble, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. Flames from the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills put densely populated neighborhoods on edge Wednesday night. Only a mile away, the streets around the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds were bustling, and onlookers used their phones to record video of the blazing hills. Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said firefighters were able to keep the blaze in check because “we hit it hard and fast and Mother Nature was a little nicer to us today.” Wind fuels the fires On Wednesday, hurricane-force winds with gusts up to 80 mph (129 kph) blew embers, igniting block after block in the coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades and in Altadena, a community near Pasadena. Thousands of homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed in those blazes — called the Palisades and Eaton fires — and the number is expected to increase. The five deaths recorded so far were from the Eaton Fire near Pasadena. While those two fires were no longer spreading significantly, both remained at 0% containment, officials said. In Pasadena, Fire Chief Chad Augustin said Wednesday that the city’s water system was stretched and further hampered by power outages, but even without those issues, firefighters would not have been able to stop the fast-moving blaze. “Those erratic wind gusts were throwing embers for multiple miles ahead of the fire,” he said. Still, questions were being raised about why some hydrants ran dry and what caused the water system to buckle when it was needed most. Pasadena residents have been instructed to avoid consuming tap water in the evacuated areas, as debris has impacted the city’s water supply. The city announced the Do Not Drink order on Thursday, and added that people should not attempt to treat the water themselves and drink only bottled water within the evacuated areas. 180,000 people are ordered to evacuate In Pacific Palisades, a hillside area along the coast dotted with celebrity homes, block after block of California Mission Style homes and bungalows were reduced to charred remains. Ornate iron railing wrapped around the smoldering frame of one house. Roughly 180,000 people are under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers) — roughly the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire is already the most destructive in Los Angeles' history. Jose Velasquez sprayed his family’s Altadena home with water as embers rained down on the roof. He managed to save their home, which also houses their family business selling pastries. Many of his neighbors were at work as fire spread through their homes. “So we had to call a few people and then we had people messaging, asking if their house was still standing,” he said. “We had to tell them that it’s not.” About 250 homes in Altadena that had been dotted with green leafy trees were reduced to rubble. Only a few homes remained, some still in flames according to satellite images from Maxar Technologies. Just a handful of 70 wall-to-wall homes overhanging the Pacific Ocean in Malibu appeared intact. Actors lost homes The flames tore through affluent neighborhoods home to California’s rich and famous. Mandy Moore, Cary Elwes and Paris Hilton were among the stars who lost homes. Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice, lost their home of 45 years in the Palisades Fire. Jamie Lee Curtis pledged $1 million to start a “fund of support” for those affected by the wildfires. In Palisades Village, the public library, two major grocery stores, a pair of banks and several boutiques were destroyed. “It’s just really weird coming back to somewhere that doesn’t really exist anymore,” said Dylan Vincent, who said his elementary school had burned down. All Los Angeles Unified School District schools will remain closed on Friday, the district announced. “The confluence of factors – wind, fire, and smoke – have created unpredictable, complex situations that present potentially unsafe conditions for our school communities,” the district said. “Select essential personnel will be contacted by their supervisors regarding potential work duties. As the Los Angeles region continues responding to this unprecedented crisis, the health and safety of our students and employees are of the utmost importance.” Hollywood studios suspended production, and Universal Studios closed its theme park. A longer fire season The main fires grew rapidly in different areas that had two things in common: densely packed homes in places that are choked with dry vegetation that was primed to burn. Flames moved so quickly that many barely had time to escape, some abandoning their vehicles and setting out on foot. Police sought shelter inside their cars. California’s wildfire season is beginning earlier and ending later due to rising temperatures and decreased rainfall tied to climate change, according to recent data. Rains that usually end fire season are often delayed, meaning fires can burn through the winter months, according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association. Dry winds, including the notorious Santa Anas, have contributed to warmer-than-average temperatures in Southern California, which has not seen more than 0.1 inches (2.5 millimeters) of rain since early May. The Associated Press contributed to this report.