Two blazes in southern region partially contained

At least three people died in Southern California as wildfires swept through the area, displacing 100,000 residents.

Two of the victims were killed when the Sandalwood Fire leveled most of the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park in Calimesa, destroying 73 homes and a clubhouse and burning at least 500 acres.

Among them was 89-yearold Lois Arvikson, who called her son to tell him she was evacuating the mobile home park, but never made it out, he said.

The second victim has not been publicly identified.

Officials say the blaze broke out in the area Thursday when a commercial trash truck driver dumped a fiery load to prevent the vehicle from catching fire, igniting dry grass. Winds up to 50 mph then spread the fire into the mobile home park.

“The winds turned it into an inferno,” said Capt. Fernando Herrera of Cal Fire/ Riverside County Fire.

A third victim, a man in his 50s, suffered a heart attack while speaking with firefighters Friday as the larger Saddleridge Fire ripped across the foothills in the San Fernando Valley. His name also has not been revealed publicly.

California Fire said Sunday the Saddleridge Fire was 41% contained, and that the Sandalwood Fire was 77% contained.

Evacuation orders for all areas impacted by the Saddleridge Fire were lifted as of Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Fire Department said, but parks in the region remained closed.

Officials urged people to “remain vigilant” and to “drive cautiously” as they returned home, and to report anything of concern to authorities.

Each of the evacuation centers that were helping people displaced by the Saddleridge blaze have been closed, officials said Sunday, because no more residents were seeking shelter.

Roughly 1,000 personnel were assigned to work on the area at the height of the emergency.

“Most crews’ main objective today will be improving and connecting sections of containment line around the perimeter of the fire,” the fire department said. “They will be utilizing retardant-dropping aircraft to reinforce the areas that are difficult to access due to steep terrain. While containment grows, a damage assessment team will continue to survey destroyed or damaged structures.”

Three firefighters sustained minor injuries as they worked, the department said.

Officials said Sunday that 21 structures had been destroyed by the Saddleridge Fire, and that another 11 had been damaged.