Cooler Weather Helps Crews Fight Southern California Fires

Thousands of firefighters aided by cooler weather made progress Saturday against three Southern California wildfires, and officials in northern Nevada were hopeful that almost all evacuees from a blaze there could soon be home. Authorities have started scaling back evacuations at the largest blaze, the AP reports. The Bridge Fire east of Los Angeles has burned 81 square miles, torched at least 33 homes and six cabins, and forced the evacuation of 10,000 people. Two firefighters have been injured in the blaze, state fire officials said.

Operations section chief Don Freguila said Saturday that containment of the Bridge Fire was estimated at 3% and improving, with nearly 2,500 firefighters working the lines. He said Saturday's focus was on the fire's west flank and northern edge near Wrightwood, where airtankers dropped retardant on the flames in steep, rugged areas inaccessible to ground crews. "We're really beating this up and starting to make some good progress," Freguila said. The Southern California fires have threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures since they escalated during a triple-digit heat wave. The Line Fire was 25% contained as of Saturday. It has charred 59 square miles in the San Bernardino mountains.

(More California wildfires stories.)