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PACIFIC PALISADES (CNS) - The death toll from the more than 21,000- acre wildfire that leveled much of Pacific Palisades increased to five and while fire crews slowly extended containment of the blaze to 8%, the fire made a late push to the northeast, prompting new evacuation warnings and an increase in acreage burned.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office reported Friday that it is conducting five death investigations tied to the Palisades Fire, and six more from the Eaton Fire in the Altadena/Pasadena area. The medical examiner noted that it cannot confirm the remains discovered in the fire areas are human until they are processed at the office's facilities.

On Thursday, representatives of the medical examiner's office removed remains from the ruins of a home in the vicinity of Duke's restaurant in Malibu. Officials from the sheriff's department told reporters at the scene that deputies received a missing person report, prompting them to conduct a welfare check at the burned-out home, where the remains were discovered.

No other details were available. Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart issued a statement saying the "tragic news weighs heavily on our hearts."

"This is a painful reminder of the profound impact this fire is having on our community," Stewart said. "Malibu is more than a city -- we are neighbors, friends, and family. Even when we don't know someone's name, their loss is felt by all of us. In times like this, we must come together, support one another, and show the resilience that defines our community."

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said another death occurred at a home in the 15300 block of Friends Street in Pacific Palisades. He said police and the medical examiner responded to the scene, and determined the death was "fire-related." No other details were released.

The Palisades Fire was reported around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the area of Piedra Morada and Monte Hermoso drives, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman David Ortiz. It continued to grow exponentially Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to heavy fuel loads and powerful Santa Ana winds.

As of Saturday morning at 5 a.m., the Palisades Fire was 21,596 acres, with 8% containment, according to Cal Fire.

Friday evening, however, the fire made a strong push to the northeast, prompting evacuation warnings that stretched as far east as Sepulveda Boulevard, essentially reaching the San Diego (405) Freeway, and extending north toward Encino.

Water and fire-retardant-dropping aircraft made numerous runs on the blaze in hopes of halting its advance.

A Cal Fire aerial survey on Thursday determined that about 5,316 structures may have been destroyed by the fire. Those "structures" could include residential and commercial properties and smaller structures such as RVs, sheds or other "minor buildings."

"It is safe to say the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles," LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley said during a Thursday morning briefing.

Video from the fire zone painted pictures of total devastation, with flames jumping from home to home, structure to structure throughout the Palisades area.

The cause of the fire was unknown. It erupted amid fierce Santa Ana winds that forecasters called the worst windstorm in the Southland in a decade. The peak gusts of the wind event slammed the fire area between 10 p.m. Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, though red flag warnings of critical fire danger were expected to be in place until Friday evening.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued across a wide area generally stretching from Kenter Avenue on the east, Mulholland Drive on the north, Topanga Canyon Boulevard on the west and the Pacific Ocean on the south.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said there were a "high number of significant injuries to residents who did not evacuate, in addition to first responders who were on the fire lines."

When the fire began expanding to the east, Santa Monica issued a mandatory evacuation order for all residents north of Montana Avenue from the ocean to 11th Street, and north of San Vicente Boulevard between Ocean Boulevard and 26th Street. An evacuation warning was issued for all other residents north of Montana Avenue. Those orders were amended Friday, with the mandatory order impacting only areas north of San Vicente. All properties between San Vicente and Montana Avenue were under an evacuation warning, while the warning between Montana and Wilshire boulevard was lifted.

The city of Malibu also issued evacuation orders as the flames advanced into that city.

Evacuation centers were established at the Westwood Recreation Center, Pasadena Convention Center and at El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills.

Large animals can be taken to Pierce College in Woodland Hills or the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank. Small animals can be taken to the Agoura Animal Care Center and Pasadena Humane Society.

Pacific Coast Highway remains closed north of the McClure Tunnel and through the fire area. The westbound Santa Monica (10) Freeway remains closed at Lincoln Boulevard.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger signed an emergency proclamation in response to the fire, and the city of Los Angeles also issued an emergency declaration. Gov. Gavin Newsom later signed a state of emergency proclamation.

Newsom, noting that President Joe Biden was in the Los Angeles area when the fire erupted, said Biden had given approval to federal funding to help cover costs of the firefighting effort. Biden announced Thursday that the emergency funding, which normally covers 75% of costs relating to firefighting and recovery efforts, will cover 100% of the costs for 180 days.

On Tuesday night, LAFD Capt. Erik Scott said a 25-year-old female firefighter suffered a serious head injury while fighting the Palisades Fire and was taken to a hospital. The circumstances of the injury were unknown.

Several other people were treated for burn injuries in the area of Duke's restaurant along Pacific Coast Highway, Scott said. It was unclear how those injuries occurred, or how many people were affected.

Video from the fire line earlier in the week showed structures burning on the campus of Palisades Charter High School, which was closed this week. Theatre Palisades on Temescal Canyon Road -- near the high school -- was completely engulfed in flames. At least two elementary schools were also believed to have burned.

Iconic eateries in the area such as the Reel Inn and Cholada Thai were also destroyed.

The Getty Villa museum in Pacific Palisades was not damaged but will remain closed until at least Monday. Katherine Fleming, president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, issued a statement Tuesday evening saying that the staff and art collection at the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades "remain safe," although "some trees and vegetation on site have burned."

The Villa houses a treasured collection of Greek and Roman antiquities.

Getty officials also said their Brentwood museum near the San Diego (405) Freeway was closed "out of caution and to help alleviate traffic in the area."

SoCalGas shut off natural gas service to the Malibu community from Brentwood Country Club to Pepperdine University. As a result, about 15,000 customers in the impacted communities were experiencing temporary service outages, according to SoCalGas' Chris Gilbride.

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