Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades grew to more than 20,400 acres by Friday.

Red Flag Warnings remain in effect through Friday evening for much of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, the National Weather Service said.

A short reprieve in the strong destructive winds has granted firefighters an opportunity to curb the spread of the deadly Eaton Fire near Pasadena.

A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of wildfires that devastated Los Angeles this week helped crews make progress in bringing the infernos under control on Friday but strong gusts could return over the weekend,

The fires have burned an area bigger than San Francisco and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and other structures. No cause has been identified for the largest fires.