Six wildfires continue to burn around Los Angeles county as of Friday afternoon local time, with authorities trying to contain the blazes.

At least 5 are dead and thousands have fled their homes as multiple wildfires fueled by Santa Ana winds blasted across Southern California.

At least five people are dead and many more injured as several fires broke out across Southern California amid historically dry and windy conditions.

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.

The massive fires that have destroyed much of Pacific Palisades and demolished more than 2,000 homes in Los Angeles County threaten an effort to fix California's troubled home insurance market.

Ferocious winds that drove the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed somewhat and were not expected to be as powerful during the day. That could allow firefighters to make progress reining in blazes that have hopscotched across the sprawling region,