California: A fierce wildfire threatening 4,000 homes northwest of Los Angeles was about 30 percent contained yesterday as higher humidity and cooler temperatures helped firefighters, fire department spokesmen said.
The fire in coastal Ventura County has blackened about 28,000 acres of rugged brush land since starting on Thursday. There is no forecast for containment and the fire was not expected to be under control until May 13, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Tom Kruschke said.
A drop from record-high temperatures on Friday and slowing, cooler winds off the Pacific Ocean were aiding the almost 1,000 firefighters brought in from across California, he said.
“We’re getting much more favorable weather conditions here. We don’t have the high winds and the high temperatures,” Kruschke said. A second spokesman, Bill Nash, said firefighters were concentrating on the Newbury Park area. About 4,000 homes have been threatened by the fire and 15 damaged. No injuries have been reported.
The Springs Fire and a flurry of smaller blazes around the state this week marked a sudden start to the California fire season. Some weather forecasters have predicted the season will be worsened by a summer of high temperatures and drought throughout much of The US West. reuters
