Firefighters made progress on the more than 10,000-acre Hughes Fire Friday, which sent thousands fleeing after sparking near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic a day earlier.

Law enforcement and prosecutors are geared up for scammers who are expected to exploit relief for victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires.

Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 24 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, officials said, scorching more than 60 square miles and displacing tens of thousands of people.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More rain fell Monday on parts of Southern California after causing mudflows over the weekend, helping firefighters but boosting the risk of toxic ash runoff in areas scorched by Los Angeles-area wildfires.

After a weekend of reprieve allowing fire teams to continue making progress battling the deadly infernos burning in Los Angeles County, Southern California now faces another round of fire-fueling Santa Ana Winds Monday.

Dozens of people are believed to have died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have burned down whole swaths of communities

Firefighters on the ground and in the air rushed to slow a rapidly spreading brush fire that exploded near Castaic on Wednesday, forcing tens of thousands of evacuations and impacting traffic on the 5 Freeway.

The National Weather Service says gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday and precipitation was possible starting Saturday.

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley said Tuesday that “life-threatening and destructive and widespread winds” are in the region, which could fuel the growth of new or existing wildfires in Los Angeles County and Ventura County.

The California fires have caused at least ... is very different from the situation we were in 16 days ago," Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday evening.

As parts of fire-ravaged Southern California begin to recover, Los Angeles County is sending out mental health workers to help fire victims heal from trauma.