CNews SAN DIEGO: Firefighters were making progress against California's wildfires but around 22,000 homes remained threatened by the blazes, which have killed seven people.
Cooler temperatures and calmer winds have allowed firefighters to staunch or contain most of the 23 fires that have erupted since Sunday, triggering the evacuation of more than 500,000 people, the biggest in California history.
Some 1,800 properties have been gutted by the blazes and officials have tallied over one billion dollars in damage. Nine fires remained active Friday but officials said they were on course to break the back of the blazes, which have so far scorched 201,000 hectares (498,000 acres) of tinder-dry land.
Cooler temperatures and calmer winds have allowed firefighters to staunch or contain most of the 23 fires that have erupted since Sunday, triggering the evacuation of more than 500,000 people, the biggest in California history.
Some 1,800 properties have been gutted by the blazes and officials have tallied over one billion dollars in damage. Nine fires remained active Friday but officials said they were on course to break the back of the blazes, which have so far scorched 201,000 hectares (498,000 acres) of tinder-dry land.
