Firefighters make progress in slowing Los Angeles wildfires amid devastation

Firefighters work from a deck as the Palisades Fire burns a beachfront property (Etienne Laurent/AP)

Firefighters began to slow the spread of deadly and devastating fires in the Los Angeles area on Thursday after the ferocious winds that drove the fast-moving flames diminished, but the largest blazes still burned out of control.

Crews were able to knock down a major threat that broke out on Wednesday evening in the Hollywood Hills, close to the heart of the entertainment industry, and by morning had lifted an evacuation order for the area.