A burglar disguised himself as a firefighter to gain access to decimated mansions caught in the path of the worst fires to ever tear through Los Angeles. 

He was among 29 people arrested by authorities who have vowed to prosecute looters to the full extent of the law as the city reels from devastating infernos, which are still destroying everything in their paths across southern California.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna revealed on Sunday that a man had been arrested in glitzy Malibu - which was particularly ravaged by the largest of the fires - when he was caught burglarizing the abandoned and burnt out homes along the waterfront.

'When I was out in the Malibu area, I saw a gentleman that looked like a firefighter and asked him if he was okay because he was sitting down. I didn't realize we had him in handcuffs,' Luna said.

'We were turning him over to LAPD because he was dressed like a fireman, and he was not. He just got caught burglarizing a home.'

He said the man had pretended to be associated with one particular fire station, but after a quick check with the department it was established that he was lying.

Two fires, the Pacific Palisades blaze and the Eaton fire, have been particularly destructive, killing 24 people so far, wiping out at least 12,300 structures and burning through 40,300 acres of land.

Luna said 25 people have been arrested in the area surrounding the Eaton Fire evacuation zone, and another four in the Palisades region. 

The Palisades fire tore through the ritzy Pacific Palisades, destroying the homes of A-list celebrities including Miles Teller, Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson, before spreading up toward Malibu and down toward Santa Monica.

The Eaton Fire impacted more inland communities, including Pasadena. Other fires have also been of concern at various stages, including one in the Hollywood Hills and another which encroached upon the Kardashian enclave of Calabasas.

Wealthy residents across the evacuation zones have resorted to hiring private security firms to protect their homes and belongings from looters until they're given the all clear to return.

Curfews are in place preventing access to areas impacted by the Palisades fire from 6pm to 6am, Luna said.

'Simply stay out of the areas if you are not a first responder or have emergency business there,' he said. 

Luna said he understands there are homeowners who are anxious to return to their properties to see what remains. 

'We are very empathetic and sensitive to those needs, but your safety comes first. A lot of these areas still look like they were hit by a bomb.'

The Palisades Fire is the largest of the Los Angeles wildfires, burning through 23,707 acres - while the Eaton Fire in Pasadena is the deadliest blaze, accounting for 11 deaths, scorching 14,117 acres. 

Meanwhile, two people have been charged with arson and arrested on suspicion of trying to start other infernos in recent days. 

The cause of both the Palisades and the Eaton fires remain under investigation. 

Energy company EdisonInternational is being investigated over a possible link to one of the other wildfires, which has since been contained.

Exhausted firefighters have been working tirelessly since Tuesday to tame the infernos - ahead of strong winds returning that could once again push the flames toward some of the city's most famous landmarks. 

The National Weather Service warned that gusty winds of up to 70 miles per hour from Sunday night to Wednesday could cause explosive fire growth and areas north of the line from Point Dume to Glendale will be particularly at risk.

'There will be the potential for — especially late Monday night through Wednesday — explosive fire growth as those winds pick back up,' Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the Los Angeles Times.

'In the case of an evacuation order being issued, you have to follow that immediately. Seconds could save your life.'

While it's still too early for an accurate tally of the financial toll, the losses so far likely make the wildfires the costliest ever in the U.S., leaving behind devastation that will ripple far beyond California's borders.

With tens of thousands of displaced LA residents who have lost all but the clothes they were wearing, plus a few select personal items, insurance companies will be on the hook for colossal payouts.

It will inevitably lead to a rise in insurance premiums for Americans across the country as companies work out how they can best pay out claims.

With losses surpassing a staggering $135 billion, according to a preliminary estimate by AccuWeather, the aftermath of this inferno is set to burden federal programs, strain insurance markets, and reshape the lives of Americans nationwide.