Dean Crispen, a 34-year veteran San Francisco Fire Department battalion chief, has been promoted to fire chief, Mayor Daniel Lurie announced Friday.

Ferocious winds that drove the flames and led to chaotic evacuations have calmed somewhat and were not expected to be as powerful during the day. That could provide an opportunity for firefighters to make progress reining in blazes that have hopscotched across the sprawling region, including massive ones in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

At least five people have been killed and thousands of structures have burned in wildfires raging in the Los Angeles area