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

Los Angeles will remain under a Red Flag Warning on Thursday as multiple fires across the county have caused unprecedented and historic carnage and destruction, wasting away 45 square miles, amounting to the size of the city of San Francisco. Five people have died as a result of the fires and the death toll is expected to rise. The wildfires that started on Tuesday have laid waste to over 27,000 acres of land, destroyed over 2,000 homes, and sent upwards of 180,000 people fleeing the flames under mandatory evacuation orders as firefighters struggle to contain the blazes amid winds reaching nearly 100 mph.

“The Eaton Fire remains estimated to be 10,600 acres, and growth has been significantly stopped,” said Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone, adding, “We have several reported injuries and over 1,000 structures damaged and destroyed.”

While the deadly Easton Fire’s growth has been stoked, the Palisades Fire in the seaside area between Santa Monica and Malibu has exploded to more than 17,000 acres and still has zero containment in its third day. The fire is now the most destructive blaze in Los Angeles County history; nearly 2,000 homes and structures were destroyed in the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.

“It’s safe to say that the Palisades Fire is one of the most destructive natural disasters in the history of Los Angeles,” Kristin M. Crowley, Los Angeles Fire Department chief said at a news conference on Thursday morning.

A fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, bringing the flames closer to the heart of L.A. and its densely populated neighborhoods. The Sunset Fire also threatened iconic locations such as the Hollywood Bowl, Walk of Fame and TCL Chinese Theatre, but firefighters were able to get the blaze under control after it burned through 43 acres. The Los Angeles Fire Department lifted all evacuation orders for the area early Thursday morning. Several celebrities have lost their homes in the fires including Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Mandy Moore, Anna Faris, James Woods, Diane Warren, Paris Hilton and more.

Winds are expected to pick back up throughout Thursday and will remain gusty into at least midday on Friday in the impacted region, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles. Winds will then ease briefly on Friday evening into Saturday but not before surging to potentially 50 mph, with isolated higher gusts expected on Thursday afternoon. Another round of Santa Ana winds is anticipated on Saturday evening and into Sunday. Though likely confined to higher elevations, this could bring back deadly and destructive fire weather conditions.

More than 15,000 people in Malibu, from Brentwood Country Club to Pepperdine, face gas shut-offs, county Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said in the morning news conference.

On Thursday, 19 school districts in L.A. County were closed, according to the Office of Education, and four of these schools have already announced they will be closed on Friday. Two Palisades schools have burned to the ground as the massive fire there rapidly spread, including Palisades Charter High School, a popular location for Hollywood productions.