Two fires erupted in the San Diego area on Thursday afternoon, prompting evacuations. The Border 2 Fire, which broke out in the Otay Mountain Wilderness area east of Chula Vista and north of the U.S.-Mexico border, has burned approximately 4,250 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

At least 27 people have died in the Eaton and Palisades fires, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Thursday evening. Seventeen of the deaths are from the Eaton Fire in Altadena and 10 from the Palisades Fire, according to the medical examiner.

CASTAIC, Calif. — Firefighters fought to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and resulted in more than 50,000 people being put under evacuation orders or warnings.

California firefighters could make more headway in containing three major wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles on Friday, as the latest round of blistering winds calm and the area's first rainfall in months arrives over the weekend.

Firefighters are battling a fast-moving blaze in southern California that has swelled over the past day, with authorities warning that Thursday is "the period of greatest concern". The Hughes fire, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Los Angeles,