Thousands of firefighters worked to contain new blazes Thursday, including one near the affluent Bel-Air neighborhood, while persistent winds left weary Angelenos on edge following weeks of historic fires.

Firefighters are battling to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly-moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles

Winds in the area were blowing at about 20-30mph (32-48km/h), but could pick up, which would fan the blaze and make it harder for air crews to operate. Climate change has made the grasses and shrubs that are fuelling the Los Angeles fires more vulnerable to burning, scientists have said.

Overnight water drops helped stop the spread of a huge wildfire churning through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and firefighters battled to increase containment as dangerous winds whipped up again Thursday.

A new wildfire spread rapidly on Wednesday in a mountainous area north-west of Los Angeles, prompting evacuation orders for 50,000 residents as the region entered its third week of battling devastating blazes.