Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a brush fire in the Pacific Palisades grew to nearly 20,000 acres by Friday.

Parts of Santa Monica were ordered to be evacuated as fast-moving flames destroyed homes along the coast in Los Angeles. Winds were picking up overnight, potentially fueling the fires.

Ferocious winds that drove the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed somewhat and were not expected to be as powerful during the day. That could provide an opportunity for firefighters to make progress reining in blazes that have hopscotched across the sprawling region,