Firefighters battling two fires that have wreaked destruction across Los Angeles for nine days could get some respite on Thursday from the weather. The hurricane-strength winds that initially fanned the flames and hampered rescue efforts have weakened into much lighter gusts.

Millions of Southern Californians nervously kept watch as winds began picking up Wednesday during a final round of dangerous wildfire weather forecast for the region where two massive blazes have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

Firefighters reported significant gains against the two massive wildfires burning around Los Angeles while also extinguishing smaller blazes set by arsonists. The progress was reported Wednesday as a