27 people killed in Los Angeles forest fire, 22 percent contained so far

According to reorts,firefighters continued to work on Thursday to control two major forest fires in Los Angeles, as winds have slowed in the area. The Palisades fire is one of the largest active forest fires in the Los Angeles area, which has so far engulfed 23,713 acres (95.96 sq km). The fire that broke out on January 7 has been contained 22 percent, up from 17 percent a day earlier.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said in an update on Thursday, "Weather conditions have returned to normal and the fire is expected to remain within its current perimeter. No additional growth is expected."

Another large and active fire, the Eaton Fire, has burned 14,117 acres (57.1 sq km) near Altadena and Pasadena. The containment level of the fire has risen to 55 per cent from 45 per cent a day earlier.

According to Cal Fire, easy weather conditions overnight and early morning reduced fire activity, allowing firefighters to make good progress. With winds returning on Monday, severe fire weather conditions remain widespread across parts of Southern California, the agency reported.

"We expect fire concerns to ease this week," the US National Weather Service said. The US National Weather Service had issued a "particularly dangerous situation" warning earlier this week. "Next week remains a week of concern. Although we are confident that events like last week will not occur, dangerous weather conditions are likely to continue leading to fire risks," the agency said.