welcome back to bbc news and that's turned to our main headlines this half hour. two people have been killed and many others seriously injured as wildfires rage out of control in los angeles. evacuation orders over 70,000 people have now been told to leave their homes in la fire chief of said teams are being stretched to their limits. the prime minister and the leader of the opposition of clash the prime minister's questions over whether there should be a national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs. patients and parts of england have waits of up to 50 hours in a and eas have waits of up to 50 hours in a and e as high rates of flu combined with cold weather and flooding caused a surge in demand.

first is the sport. afterjust six months in charge, julen lopetegui has been sacked by west ham. the spanish manager won just seven of his 22 matches in charge. leaves a club in 14th, just seven points above the premier league relegation zone. lopetegui was appointed in may to succeed david moyes. but began work at the beginning ofjuly. saturday's 4—1 defeat by manchester city was a ninth loss in 20 league games so far this season. it's been quite an interesting day, really. writing is been on the wall and i think we thought that he might be under pressure a little while ago in december but results stabilised he was unbeaten in four and he has lost heavily to manchester city in liverpool and so come i think he has put hisjob back liverpool and so come i think he has put his job back under spotlight and pressure and today, it culminated in his sacking.

well, west ham have have held talks with graham potter about taking over, initially at least on a short term deal. the former chelsea and brighton boss has been out of work since leaving stamford bridge nearly two years ago. for all tottenham's recent problems, the efl cup semi final tonight could provide something of a breath of fresh air for the beleaguered ange postecoglou. the competition has provided spurs with one of only two wins since the end of november, and indeed their most recent victory when they beat manchester united to make the last four. tonight there's the small matter of league leaders liverpool visiting for the first leg of the semi final. and postecoglou insists he's been seeking no assurances despite not winning any of the four games since. the results, it's my responsibility to change the course and i should take whatever verifications it has but i don't need more security and seeing them what i see every day and everyone in the cloud is totally supportive of what we're trying to do them are trying to help me and trying to help us get through this

and that is all any manager really needs, ijust being interested in security. needs, notjust being interested in security. they might be about to renew one of cricket's most bitter rivalries. but an australian and englishwoman are both on the same page about one thing, that they want their ashes to last longer. the two sides will contest the women's series over six white ball games and one test match and england's tammy beaumont sez she agrees with aussie all rounder ash gardner that the longest format should provide three matches... i would love to see 3—3— three, the rivalry is amazing. we saw that in the australian men's test series, the australian men's test series, the narrative building and a five match series and even in the three match series and even in the three match series, the kind of things of getting the same people out and you know, that is part of why you love the game and that battle of trying to get up on an opening bowler and i think it builds even more intense

cricket and that is why i love getting the lights on and i would like to see more of it. harriet dart moved to within one win of the australian open in qualifying for the opening grand slam of the tennis year but both heather watson and franjones lost. dart had to overcome australian teenager australian teenager taylah preston in melbourne but did so in three sets. the british number four is the third—ranked player in qualifying. and she'll playjapan�*s nao hibino in the early hours of tomorrow morning for a place in the main draw. 0n the men's side, billy harris is also one step away from qualifying. he beat spain's carlos taberner in straight sets this morning. harris wrapped up victory in just over an hour. he'll now play poland's kamil majchrzak for a chance to reach the first round proper. and that's all the sport for now. going straight back to the wildfires raging around los angeles and let it show you a new live pictures coming into us because after watching those

the last little while during our sports bulletin and look at that, the thick smoke thatjust sports bulletin and look at that, the thick smoke that just absolutely shrouds so many different areas of los angeles and we are seeing another section of pictures just showing the wind whipping through and keeping those fires going and it's a brush fire and a huge sprawling and spreading wildfire for different fires and that is with the authorities have been saying in the last hour or so which is been so difficult to get under control and it is not under control. zero containment was the phrase they used. a state of emergency has been declared in more than 70,000 people are now under evacuation orders. bbc verified a has been tracking how the fires of spread. wildfires have engulfed 5000 acres of la. mapping the fires to understand the scale of the fires to understand the scale of the spread. videos like this one

showed the blaze firefighters are battling in this for the church is been shared by the la fire department from the neighbourhood of palisades which is full of luxury properties in the area of eastern la smart is it so far in the fires here spread at astonishing speeds and take a look at this map. you can see around 2pm local time that this is what it looked like, 700 acres covered by fires and this is what it looked like and 3pm and we can see the area has doubled. wildfires also spread to other neighbourhoods and that includes hirst, eaton and woodland areas valet. strong winds causing the rapid spread. the fire ecologist or the bbc it was a double whammy because they had already had dry conditions due to the lack of rain in the winds were trying things out further and also warned that the work is not over yet and the weather forecast shows that the winds are set to continue in the california

fire department in the blazes can spread further on wednesday and into thursday. a little early in the programme spoke to the councilwoman tracy park who represents pacific palisades of the major fire and described to me the damage of that area stop the scope and scale of the loss is just absolutely devastating as the sun is rising here in los angeles. as the sun is rising here in los anaeles. �* ., , , as the sun is rising here in los anaeles. �* .,, , j angeles. and hopefully they'll coo erate angeles. and hopefully they'll cooperate and _ angeles. and hopefully they'll cooperate and we _ angeles. and hopefully they'll cooperate and we can - angeles. and hopefully they'll cooperate and we can get - angeles. and hopefully they'll cooperate and we can get air. angeles. and hopefully they'll- cooperate and we can get air assets to begin the assessment and we are preparing for the worst but we are incredibly grateful that at this point there been no reported fatalities or major injuries and this is been absolutely terrifying and traumatic 2a hours for the west side of los angeles. find and traumatic 24 hours for the west side of los angeles.— side of los angeles. and he experienced _ side of los angeles. and he experienced anything - side of los angeles. and he

experienced anything in - side of los angeles. and he i experienced anything in terms side of los angeles. and he - experienced anything in terms of getting close to where you are and how fast this is moving? i getting close to where you are and how fast this is moving?— how fast this is moving? i have never seen _ how fast this is moving? i have never seen anything _ how fast this is moving? i have never seen anything like - how fast this is moving? i have never seen anything like this, i j never seen anything like this, i was out personally in the field on the front line at the fire command post in the speed with which this fire tore through our neighbourhoods, downer hillsides, jumped across pch was remarkable and horrifying. the response of our public safety in the acts of her roses him, ensuring that people were evacuating my own counsel office field team was going door—to—door in pacific palisades escorting people to burning neighbourhoods and i have never seen anything like this, absolutely horrific images and circumstances on the ground here in los angeles since. �* , ., ., , .,

since. being restored and they are uuite since. being restored and they are quite dramatic _ since. being restored and they are quite dramatic because _ since. being restored and they are quite dramatic because you - since. being restored and they are quite dramatic because you can i since. being restored and they are. quite dramatic because you can just see that whole side of the landscape there shrouded in smoke as they are battling and still failing to bring these fires under control and wishing from a variety of people just how the winds, 75 mph, that is making things so much harder on the ground in moo firefighters deployed and that is not enough and just in the last little while and authority saying that they're fighting these wildfires with herb water systems and that is been really challenging in terms of what is available for the city and water for residents and all sorts of problems because this is the consequence on the ground with so many properties and over thousand structures destroyed so far and 5000 acres from the area they are talking about and it is the win

causing so much of a problem and so different to perhaps other wildfires that they fought over the years. chief meteorologist is with us and monitoring these fires closely as they spread across parts of california.— california. this is been a fast-moving _ california. this is been a fast-moving wind - california. this is been a fast-moving wind driven j california. this is been a - fast-moving wind driven inferno fast—moving wind driven inferno causing property destruction and we have multiple, majorfires as causing property destruction and we have multiple, major fires as we mentioned going on and we've been talking about this for days, trying to keep people better prepared. strong winds out of the north offshore winds with wind gusts and widespread of 50 to 70 mph and some of those winds have gusted as i have what's 100 mph and think of those winds have gusted as i have what's100 mph and think about that, nothing dealing with the wind in a hurricane in with this fast inferno, it's been that combination both learned to a lot of property destruction and near 100 mph, learned to a lot of property destruction and near100 mph, 98,80 three miles per hour through the canyon and this was getting some of

these winds and pacific palisades near malibu, this is about a one in ten year event in terms of how high those winds have been in being driven by a couple of factors inspiring together, an area of high pressure over nevada that also produces those winds in california but what is different here is the strong low—pressure crossing through portions of southern california with a lot of wind energy and that is adding extra momentum and adding extra amplification to this whole set up in the challenge is that those strong winds are going to continue today and looking at the accuweather app, the la area, notice the wind gusts do tend to drop and that could be helpful somewhat in terms of getting a bit of an edge on these fires but still, very dangerous situation today and into toni