"Climate change, including increased heat, extended drought, and a thirsty atmosphere, has been a key driver in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires in the western United States," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

The largest of the wildfires ravaging the area shifted direction, triggering more evacuation orders and posing a new challenge to exhausted firefighters.

The USDA warns that wildfires, such as those raging in the Los Angeles Area, can render food in homes unsafe to eat.