Mandy Moore, Anna Faris, Paris Hilton, Jeff Bridges, Bozoma Saint John, Billy Crystal, James Woods and Diane Warren are among the celebrities whose houses were destroyed by the blazes.

A pair of massive wildfires menacing Los Angeles from the east and west were still burning unchecked early on Thursday, two days after they ignited, but firefighting crews made progress overnight in controlling a smaller blaze burning in the hills overlooking Hollywood Boulevard.

Major fires have killed five people, ravaged communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena, and sent thousands of people frantically fleeing their homes.