Working To Contain Wildfires

LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. (AP) -- Firefighters are trying to increase their containment of Southern California's wildfires, even as the weather turns warmer and drier.<br/><br/>They've been able to

Sunday, October 28th 2007, 2:59 pm

By: News On 6

LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif. (AP) -- Firefighters are trying to increase their containment of Southern California's wildfires, even as the weather turns warmer and drier.

They've been able to make some strong gains, with the help of a moist weather system that brought higher humidity and even rain showers. But the remnants of that tropical cloudiness are moving out of the region.

Higher winds are coming in, but a spokesman for the firefighting effort says it's nothing like the conditions seen last week, when the Santa Ana winds fanned the flames and helped keep firefighting aircraft grounded.

California officials have now counted more than 2,700 structures destroyed by the fires, including just over 2,000 homes.

More than a dozen fires are surrounded, and firefighters are trying to complete lines around seven others.

Seven deaths have been directly linked to the fires, including those of four suspected illegal immigrants whose burned bodies were found near the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday.