Firefighters make gains on fires
2008-11-17 18:04
California - With the ferocious Santa Ana winds dying down, firefighters on Monday made gains on three raging wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forces thousands of residents to flee.
Wind gusts had peaked to more than 115km/h at the height of the fires over the weekend, but by Monday morning they weakened to about 32km/h, the National Weather Service said.
"It's wonderful news," Angela Garbiso, a spokesperson with Orange County Fire Authority, said on Monday. "When it calms down, it obviously makes it easier for us to handle this massive undertaking."
The fires, which have burned since Thursday night from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and counties to the east, have burned more than 14 000 hectares or 145 square kilometres.
In Orange and Riverside counties, the fires chewed through nearly 10 000 hectares and were pushing toward Diamond Bar in Los Angeles county. A major aerial attack on Sunday raised containment to 19%.
Meanwhile, a 4 000-hectare fire that hit hard in the Sylmar area of northern Los Angeles on Saturday had moved into the Placerita Canyon area of the rugged San Gabriel Mountains and was burning vigorously, but well outside the city. It was 40% contained.
The Santa Barbara-area fire that swept through upscale Montecito has burned 785 hectares and was 80% contained.
The cause of all the fires were under investigation, although officials said the Santa Barbara-area fire was "human caused," said Doug Lannon, a spokesperson with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Lannon said the fire started in a Montecito landmark known to be a popular hangout for teenagers. He said it was possible someone was smoking in the brush or started a campfire there. Investigators have set up an anonymous tip line in hopes of getting the public's help in finding out who started the fire.
Far away from the flames, the smell of smoke pervaded metropolitan Los Angeles. Downtown skyscrapers were silhouettes in an opaque sky and concerns about air quality kept many people indoors. Organisers on Sunday cancelled a marathon in suburban Pasadena where 8 000 runners had planned to participate.
Officials warned of another bad air day on Monday, and classes were cancelled at dozens of schools near the fire zones in Orange County.
Many evacuees began the agonising process of making their way back to their destroyed homes.
Starting on Monday morning, anxious residents of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar, where 484 homes were destroyed by fire early Saturday, will be allowed to return to inspect their property. Firefighters were able to save about 120 other homes in the community, but many were badly damaged.
Cadaver dogs had been searching the burned units to determine whether anybody perished during the fast-moving fire, but so far no bodies have been found, police said.
- AP