Overnight water drops helped stop the spread of a huge wildfire churning through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles.

Winds in the area were blowing at about 20-30mph (32-48km/h), but could pick up, which would fan the blaze and make it harder for air crews to operate. Climate change has made the grasses and shrubs that are fuelling the Los Angeles fires more vulnerable to burning, scientists have said.

Palisades Fire initially started 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County. It has burned 23,448 acres after being active for 16 days. A crew of 3,274 firefighters has been working on site and they managed to contain 72% of the fire by Thursday morning. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.

The Hughes fire about 50 miles north of Los Angeles further taxed firefighters in the region who have managed to bring two major fires in the metropolitan area largely under control.