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California firefighters are facing a possible spread of several massive fires and more damage as the winds get stronger.
On Saturday, a lull helped contain fires in the north and south of the state, but the authorities asked residents to stay away because they could again spread very quickly.
The search for the bodies continues in the devastated town of Paradise, in the north of the country, where 23 people are said to have died.
Two other people were killed in the southern fire near Malibu.
About 250,000 people were forced to flee their homes to avoid three major fires in the state.
Until this year, an area larger than Belgium and Luxembourg burned, well above average.
California Governor Jerry Brown has asked US President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to strengthen emergency response and contribute to recovery efforts.
In a series of tweets in recent days, Mr. Trump has angered by saying that poor forest management was at the root of the fires.
But he has now offered his condolences to those affected.
What are the main fires?
The fire, known as a campfire, began to spread on Thursday in Butte County, and firefighters failed to prevent it from destroying the city of Paradise.
Another fire broke out Friday in the rich resort town of Malibu, in the south of the country, and had doubled in size on Saturday.
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Many houses burned in Malibu
Known as Woolsey, he burned more than 83,000 acres (33,500 hectares) at the end of the day.
Thousand Oaks is part of the cities under evacuation. An armed man killed 12 people Wednesday during a rampage.
Desperate for information
By James Cook, BBC correspondent in Los Angeles
In the ruins of paradise, teams scan the ashes to try to find and identify human remains. The city is over: more than 6,400 homes have been destroyed, in the most destructive fire in the history of California, and one of the deadliest.
Those who have fled are desperate for information about their homes and loved ones.
A total of 8,000 firefighters are now battling California flames. The quality of the air is excruciating – parents are warned not to let children play outside.
A quarter of a million people are in evacuation order.
What's going on with the campfire?
The fire broke out Thursday in the Plumas National Forest, north of Sacramento, and quickly engulfed the city of Paradise.
Locals fled for their lives and more than 6,700 homes and businesses were destroyed, making the most destructive fire in the state's history. The flames moved so fast that some had to abandon their cars and flee the city on foot.
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It is also the third deadliest fire of the state. Nine bodies were found immediately after the destruction and the remains of 14 others were found during later excavations.
More than 110 people are reported missing in the region, but officials are hopeful that many will be found safe elsewhere.
Images of paradise showed the sky filled with acrid smoke, almost wiping the sun off.
On Saturday night, the camp fire burned 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares) and was controlled by only 20%.
Winds reaching 64 km / h (40 mph) were expected Sunday, and officials said the fire could take up to three weeks to be fully contained.
Where is Woolsey's fire?
The fire began Thursday near Thousand Oaks, about 64 km northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
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On Friday, the flames jumped off Route 101 and headed for the coastal areas.
All residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Los Angeles County sheriff chief John Benedict said Saturday that two people were found dead, but gave no details of the deaths.
Malibu and nearby calabasas are home to many celebrities and some have been forced to flee, including Kim Kardashian West, Caitlyn Jenner, Lady Gaga and Guillermo Del Toro.
Firefighters took advantage of a respite from fierce winds on Saturday to drop fire retardants to reinforce the fire lines.
But officials have warned against complacency, with winds of up to 70 mph expected for the next two days. They said fires could spread quickly and unexpectedly.
"The winds are already blowing, they're going to blow in the next three days, your home can be rebuilt, but you can not give yourself back," said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby.
Meteorologist David Gomberg told the Los Angeles Times newspaper that tornadoes of fire were possible.
What did Mr. Trump say?
The president has previously blamed California officials for forest fires and threatened to suspend federal funding.
In a tweet on Saturday, he again accused the state authorities of "mismanagement".
Evan Westrub, spokesman for state governor Jerry Brown, retorted and called Mr. Trump's remarks "stupid and misinformed".
Celebrities have also criticized Mr. Trump's unsympathetic reaction. The Californian singer Katy Perry called this reaction "absolutely heartless reaction".
The region has been facing severe forest fires in recent years, the worst of which in the state's history: the Mendocino fire in 2018.
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