Brush Fires

Southern California's early wildfire season continued Wednesday as a 700-acre blaze burned uncontained in the San Jacinto Wilderness of the San Bernardino National Forest. The fire burned eastward in heavy brush high on remote Apache Peak near Pacific Crest Trail, about six miles east of the Riverside County community of Mountain Center, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Only hand crews were fighting the fire, which erupted Tuesday about 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Meanwhile, cool, moist weather helped firefighters mop up remnants of a 584-acre wildfire that last weekend threatened the city of Sierra Madre in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains 15 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

Hundreds of evacuees were allowed to return home to two towns threatened by a wildfire that destroyed 59 houses, as crews continued working to complete containment lines. Light wind blew through the area, a welcome change from last week's gusts that drove the flames over containment lines and forced 400 people to flee. The blaze covered 13,680 acres, or 21 square miles, east of the Manzano Mountains. It was 45% contained but was still within a few miles of the towns of Torreon and Tajique, southeast of Albuquerque.

Wildfires in central Florida on Sunday shut down Interstate 95 and other major roads, forced the evacuation of hundreds of coastal residents, and kept firefighters, deputies, relief workers and state troopers on alert throughout the night. More of the same is expected today as high winds, dry conditions and record-high temperatures fuel the blazes in Volusia and Brevard counties. Winds of up to 40 mph stoked the fires that burned nearly 3,000 acres in the two counties, forcing authorities to evacuate at least 400 homes in Cocoa, Palm Bay and Daytona Beach, where residents had little time to pack up important belongings and flee.

Firefighters are battling a 300-acre wildfire on Mt. Baldy in the Angeles National Forest. The Big Horn fire was reported about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Bear Flat area about 45 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, said Sherry Rollman, spokeswoman for the national forest. With winds at 15 to 20 mph and gusting to 60 mph in the area, about 240 firefighters had not brought the blaze under control as of about 2:30 p.m., said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Dee Deckert. Five helicopters were brought in to fight the fire, she said.

Areas in the southern part of the state were under a dense smoke advisory as firefighters worked to control several wildfires that have burned about 62 square miles. The majority of fires burned around Lake Okeechobee in Glades County and on the coast in Brevard County.

Firefighters on Wednesday battled a small brush fire in the Angeles National Forest near Santa Clarita. The blaze had consumed about 15 acres. About 100 firefighters and three helicopters had it 80% contained, said Forest Service spokeswoman Dee Dechert. The fire started about 3:15 p.m. when a transformer burst into flames and ignited the brush beneath it, said Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Sammy Padilla. Also Wednesday, about 50 firefighters put out a 1-acre blaze near the 210 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Ron Myers.

San Diego County remains "woefully unprepared" to fight wildfires despite the "wake-up call" provided by two of the most devastating blazes in state history in five years, the county grand jury reported Thursday. The jury recommended that the San Diego City Council and Board of Supervisors spend more money on fire protection and lead a drive to overcome local opposition to consolidation of small departments. "Firefighting in San Diego County is a patchwork quilt of city fire departments, local fire protection special districts, volunteer fire departments and county service agencies," the jury said in a report titled "The Fire Next Time -- Will We Be Ready?"

Northern California continued to suffer the fallout of what's turning into a historically bad fire season as a weekend lightning barrage set off more than 700 blazes that by Monday had burned nearly 44,000 acres. A record lack of rainfall, severely dry vegetation and uncharacteristically windy weather have combined to create tinderbox conditions across the northern part of the state.

Firefighters on Tuesday continued to battle a fusillade of wildfires plaguing Northern California, including a destructive blaze that has charred homes and threatened tourist haunts along the Big Sur coast. With more than 425,000 acres burned, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the California National Guard to deploy ground forces for the first time in three decades to help weary firefighters battling blazes from Kern County to the Oregon border.

A fast-moving wildfire that consumed some 6,600 acres rained smoke and ash from the mountains Friday, leaving residents here wondering whether a stiffer breeze would come up to sweep the blaze into their neighborhoods overnight. About 800 firefighters, backed by 10 air tankers and six helicopters, continued their assault on the blaze. Although the evening brought temporary relief, erratic winds known as "sundowners" were expected at up to 20 mph between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.