Red-flag warnings for dangerous fire weather are in place until Friday.

In the era when American cities regularly caught fire, the widespread destruction seeded what looks, in retrospect, like possibility.

CASTAIC, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters fought to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and resulted in more than 50,000 people being put under evacuation orders or warnings.