California fires ‘ mostly contained’

San Diego, May 18: Firefighters battling a major wildfire in southern California surrounded most of the blaze overnight, a fire official said on Saturday, as evacuated residents began to return to a region where dozens of homes were destroyed by a series of fires.

In all, nearly a dozen fires scorched about 20,000 acres ( 8,093 hectares) of droughtparched brush across San Diego county this past week. As firefighters brought several of the blazes under control, a man was charged on Friday with one count of arson in connection with one of the smaller fires.

With cool, moist air coming in from the Pacific coast, firefighters gained the upper hand overnight against the socalled Cocos Fire, one of the region’s fiercest, that threatened the suburban community of San Marcos north of San Diego.

By Saturday morning, firefighters had contained 70 per cent of the 2,520acre ( 1020- hectare), said fire task force spokesman Tim Evans. That marked

With cool, moist air coming in from the Pacific coast, firefighters gained the upper hand overnight against the so- called Cocos Fire, one of the region’s fiercest

a significant improvement from Friday , when the blaze was only 10 per cent contained.

The Cocos Fire destroyed a dozen houses and another 25 structures at a local spiritualism centre, county officials said.

The conditions on Saturday were less windy than earlier in the week, when hot, dry Santa Ana winds drove the flames on their destructive path.

Some residents evacuated from the San Marcos area were allowed to return home late on Friday and additional evacuation orders had been lifted by Saturday evening, San Diego county officials said.

All road closures and evacuation orders are anticipated to be lifted at 6 pm on Sunday, the county said. — Reuters