Quantance told The Forum about the devastation in Los Angeles. “It’s almost too much. I just have to realize that I am very, very lucky.”

Firefighters are making progress slowing the major fires in the Los Angeles area that have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena and caused thousands of people to flee their homes.

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,

Nearly 2,000 homes, businesses, and other structures have been destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires, and the number is expected to increase. The five deaths recorded so far were from the Eaton Fire.

A fast-moving fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills on Wednesday night, threatening one of Los Angeles' most iconic spots as firefighters battled to get under control three other major blazes that killed five people,