LOS ANGELES/SANTA FE, N.M. - A wildfire burning in mountains north
of Los Angeles has destroyed 24 homes including a number of summer
cabins, fire officials said on Thursday after it was safe enough to send
in an on-foot assessment team.
The damage
wrought by the Powerhouse Fire comes as officials in California have
warned of a particularly early and intense start of the fire season. Two
major wildfires are also burning in New Mexico, including one that was
threatening Native American sites.
A previous
estimate had put the number of residences damaged or destroyed by the
Powerhouse Fire at 15. The blaze, which has consumed just over 30,000
acres (12,140 hectares), has also destroyed another 29 outbuildings.
Firefighters have gained the upper hand on the blaze, which began a
week ago in northwest Los Angeles County and has burned through brush
lands in mountainous terrain near the towns of Lancaster and Palmdale.
The blaze was 78 percent contained, with full containment predicted for
Monday.
"Definitely we've turned the corner, there's no question about that," US Forest Service safety officer Ron Ashdalesaid.
But the weather in the coming days is expected to get warmer, which could complicate firefighting efforts.
The forecasted high temperature for Thursday was 97 degrees Fahrenheit
(36 Celsius), and winds could shift on Friday and Saturday and threaten
to spread flames toward a containment line that is nevertheless expected
to hold, Ashdale said.
Some of the 24 homes
destroyed in the Powerhouse Fire are believed to be primary residences,
especially around the Lake Hughes area that was touched by flames, but
others are summer cabins in the Angeles National Forest, fire officials
said.
The cause of the blaze, which broke out
near a remote powerhouse and has cost $16 million to fight, is still
under investigation.
Sacred ground
In New Mexico, where two major wildfires were burning largely
unchecked, firefighters took advantage of a drop in temperatures and a
rise in humidity to gain ground against the blazes, one of which was
threatening holy and historic sites.
The
Thompson Ridge Fire west of Santa Fe stood at 12,171 acres (4,925
hectares) on Thursday and was only 5 percent contained after
firefighters worked to protect historic ranch buildings and Redondo Peak
which is sacred to Native Americans.
The blaze
in the Valles Caldera National Preserve threatened a number of sites
with artifacts of human settlements, such as obsidian tools, said Ana
Steffen, cultural resources coordinator for the preserve. Some remains
in the preserve are over 10,000 years old, she said.
Firefighters considered the coming few days a chance to create
containment lines before a new wave of heat and low humidity was
predicted for early next week.
"The next couple
of days will be good because early next week we're going to be tested.
So if we can get this done, we have a much better chance of holding
this," said Peter D'Aquanni, a spokesman for the team handling the
blaze.
New Mexico's second major blaze, the Tres
Lagunas Blaze east of Santa Fe, stood at 9,578 acres (3,876 hectares)
and was 24 percent contained, officials said.
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