Wildfires Consume California

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP) - Calmer wind in Southern California is
giving some relief to firefighters battling wildfires that have
destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to
flee.
The National Weather Service said Sunday that the Santa Ana wind
was gusting up to 39 mph in the Sylmar area of northern Los
Angeles, much lower than the roughly 80 mph gusts that had fanned a
huge wildfire there on Saturday.
The wind has slowed to 25 mph in Orange and Riverside counties,
allowing firefighters there to set backfires to prevent flames from
moving into more neighborhoods.
The fires in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and Santa Barbara
counties have blackened nearly 29 square miles and destroyed more
than 800 mobile homes, houses and apartments since Thursday night.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)