Fierce winds fueled new fires and made it harder to contain the largest blazes, which have destroyed whole neighborhoods and have become some of the most devastating in California’s history.

A fast-moving series of fires beginning Jan. 7 has devastated areas of Southern California, causing thousands of residents to have to flee their homes — including many stars, such as Milo Ventimiglia,

"We are absolutely not out of danger yet," the Los Angeles Fire Department warns in an update on the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires

The list of celebrities who lost their homes and neighbourhoods in the worst fire in Los Angeles history reads like a Hollywood who's who. Jamie Lee Curtis, James Woods, Mandy Moore, Mark Hamill and Maria Shriver were among those who publicly described being forced to evacuate as out-of-control fires swept across some of the most lavish real estate in the world.

More than 100,000 people are under evacuation orders, and the fires have consumed about 45 square miles — roughly the size of the city of San Francisco.

By Jorge Garcia and Rollo Ross LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Two massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning uncontained on Thursday, but a brief respite from the fierce winds that have fanned the flames for two days allowed crews to slow their explosive spread.

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