Officials are bracing for the return of fierce Santa Ana winds as they try to contain several large blazes across the Los Angeles area.

Winds picked up again early Wednesday as firefighters worked to hold and expand containment lines on the Palisades and Eaton fires. A day after firefighters got a bit of a break with lighter winds than expected,

Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. About 88,000 people remain under mandatory evacuation orders and another 84,000 are under evacuation warnings.