Santa Ana winds have died down across the greater Los Angeles area, helping firefighters to bring almost 40,000 acres of ongoing wildfires under control.

By Jorge Garcia and Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Firefighters on Wednesday confronted persistently strong and dry winds fueling two giant wildfires that have terrified Los Angeles for eight days,

Staggered after one of the most destructive natural disasters in Southern California history, thousands of heartbroken families, burned-out business owners and beleaguered leaders across Los Angeles County are beginning to ponder another monumental task: rebuilding what was lost and charting a path forward.