A huge village has sprung up on the golden sands of a beach in Malibu, becoming a temporary home for thousands of firefighters from all over North America to eat, sleep and recuperate when they aren’t battling fires across Los Angeles.

Around 5,000 first responders mingle among trailers and tents, where they are served calorie-laden breakfasts by inmates drafted in to help the enormous effort.

“This is a small town that was built from the ground up,” firefighter Edwin Zuniga told AFP of the vast encampment at Zuma Beach, a few miles from the blazes.

The camp comes to life before dawn, as thousands of firefighters line up for breakfast.

Rows of tables are set against the backdrop of crashing waves in a vast open-air dining room.