Firefighters managed to contain a series of wildfires in Northern California on Sunday, thanks to improved weather, authorities said.
As many of the 9,000 residents who fled the fires near the Butte County town of Paradise returned home Sunday to see the damage, firefighters said.
The fires destroyed at least 74 homes and damaged 20 others in the Paradise area, about 90 miles (144 kilometers) north of Sacramento, the state's capital. One elderly woman died after suffering a heart attack while being evacuated.
The blaze had charred about 36 square miles (about 58 square kilometers), said Scott Upton, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The wildfires were 50 percent contained Sunday morning and crews expected to have them fully surrounded by Monday, Upton said.
"They're just being very vigilant and not easing up now that the fire is coming under containment," Upton said.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Source:Xinhua
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