Firefighters battle devastating Los Angeles wildfires as winds calm somewhat

Firefighters battled early Thursday to control major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and caused thousands of people to frantically flee their homes.

Firefighters began to make progress battling the deadly and devastating fires in the Los Angeles area early Thursday, especially because the ferocious winds that have been driving the fast-moving flames are expected to slow down.

Firefighters were able to knock down a major threat that broke out Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills as flames struck closer to the heart of the city, the roots of the entertainment industry. By morning, authorities lifted an evacuation order for the area.

The weather forecast could provide an opportunity for firefighters to make progress in reining in blazes that have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and caused thousands of people to frantically flee their homes.

Flare-ups overnight illuminated the Santa Monica Mountains above Pacific Palisades. Homes continued to burn, but unlike Tuesday night when a fierce wind blew embers sideways and fueled new outbreaks, sparks mostly drifted upward.

The flames from the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills had put the densely populated neighborhoods on edge. Only about a mile away, the streets around the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds were bustling, and onlookers used their phones to record video of the blazing hills.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott said they were able to keep the fire in check because "we hit it hard and fast and Mother Nature was a little nicer to us today than she was yesterday."

On Wednesday, hurricane-force winds blew embers, igniting block after block in the coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades and in Altadena, a community near Pasadena. Aircraft were grounded for a time because of the winds, hampering firefighting efforts.