Dangerous conditions are expected to persist through Friday before flame-fanning winds subside slightly, potentially giving crews a foothold against infernos that have killed at least 10 people.

Fierce winds fueled new fires and made it harder to contain the largest blazes, which have destroyed whole neighborhoods and have become some of the most devastating in California’s history.

A pause in the fierce winds that super-charged the ring of wildfires that devastated Los Angeles this week helped crews make progress in bringing the infernos under control on Friday but strong gusts could return over the weekend,