Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted Tuesday and roared across the Los Angeles area.

In a state that averages more than 7,500 wildfires a year some California homeowners keep helmets and fire hoses handy. However, the Los Angeles fires demonstrate a new reality: Wildfires in the state are growing larger and more ferocious and burning into suburbs and cities more often,

Firefighters are making some progress in containing the blazes that have leveled complete neighborhoods in the U.S. city of Los Angeles. As of Saturday morning, the Palisades Fire was 43% contained, up from 31% contained on Friday,

Calmer weather is helping California firefighters gain control of the wildfires before winds pick back up again next week. NBC’s Maggie Vespa reports for TODAY.