Just over a week ago on Jan. 7., destructive Santa Ana winds fueled The Eaton Fire in a northeast area of the county near Pasadena and the Palisades Fire in the coastal community of Pacific Palisades

The size of the huge blazes, along with difficult weather conditions and the emergence of smaller fires, have extended firefighters’ timelines. “It’s going to be a slow, arduous process,” one official said.

Containment of the Palisades fire inched higher to 18% as of Tuesday evening, but gusty winds could challenge fire crews.