Aided by easing winds, firefighters gained an upper hand over two major wildfires near Los Angeles, authorities said on Wednesday.
Calm winds early Wednesday kept the larger of two San Fernando Valley wildfires from making a run toward the sea, averting a disaster scenario that has played out regularly over recent decades, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).
The Marek fire that started in the foothills of the Angeles National Forest was 80-percent contained on Wednesday morning, and all evacuations were lifted except for the trailer park in Lopez Canyon where most of the mobile homes were destroyed, said Lisa Lugo, a forest spokeswoman.
Full containment of the blaze is expected on Thursday, she said.
The Sesnon fire, which started in suburban Los Angeles on Monday, grew to 13,200 acres (about 5,346 hectares) overnight. Light winds allowed firefighters to make headway Tuesday in cutting containment lines on the fire's eastern flank.
The fires died down after claiming two lives, destroying 49 structures and burning 18,000 acres (about 7,290 hectares) of land, the LAFD said.
But firefighters warned that wildfires might erupt again as the season of Santa Anas has just begun, with no rain forecast any time soon.
Source:Xinhua
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