Wildfire Threatens More Southern California Homes

Crews overcame a threatening flare-up during the night and worked Monday to halt a wildfire east of Los Angeles that has sent 1,000 people fleeing their homes.

Water-dropping aircraft were back in the air Monday to complement ground crews as more than 580 firefighters attacked the blaze. Calmer wind and rising humidity were expected to help, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Ed Gililland.

The blaze had charred 490 acres Monday, authorities said. Containment had fallen from 30 percent to 23 percent because the burst of wind during the night pushed flames past some containment lines and within yards of several houses.

All of Sierra Madre's schools canceled Monday classes, and at least 1,000 people had evacuated their homes in the foothills. Authorities said no homes had burned since the fire began Saturday.

"This is pretty serious. Some of these areas have not burned in over 40 years," city spokeswoman Elisa Weaver said.

The blaze had been creeping northwest into the Angeles National Forest, Battalion Chief Tim Davis of the Forest Service said Sunday.

"It's very steep, inaccessible terrain, and it's very heavy brush," Davis said at a news conference. "Very difficult and arduous labor for these crews. You can't get bulldozers into the majority of where these fingers of fire run."

 No homes were damaged, though a small outbuilding used for storing firefighting equipment was destroyed, Weaver said.

Weaver said more than 400 firefighters were attacking the 350-acre fire, aided by two helicopters with two water-dropping air tankers on the way. The fire was 5 percent contained and was expected to burn for another two or three days.

"This is pretty serious," Weaver said. "Some of these areas have not burned in over 40 years."

The cause of the blaze remained under investigation.

Firefighters originally had hoped to have the blaze contained Sunday, but gusting winds late Saturday night kept the fire burning out of control and creeping toward nearby homes, said Elisa Weaver of the Arcadia Fire Department.

The mandatory evacuation order came shortly before 11 p.m. The fire broke out on a hot, dry Saturday afternoon about 10 miles northeast of Pasadena, Weaver said.