Firefighters Hope Easing Wind Gives Them Advantage Over Wildfire

Wednesday, October 24th 2007, 3:44 pm

By: News On 6

Fire crews in Southern California are eagerly awaiting help from other states in the form of additional firefighters and equipment. In the past four days, flames have devoured hundreds of miles in Southern California gutting 1,500 homes. The flames are forcing more than half a million people to flee. News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports it is the state's largest evacuation ever.

After three days of devastating property loses in Southern California, finally the break that exhausted firefighters and anxious homeowners have been waiting for.

â€œDuring the night, the east winds abated quite a bit,â€ said Chief Rick Hutchinson, Deputy Incident Commander.

It has been the powerful Santa Ana gusts that has been fanning the flames from Malibu to Mexico. An estimated 1,500 homes have been destroyed, most of them in San Diego County.

Even with the lighter winds, thousands of residences remain in danger as more than a dozen fires continue to rage.

â€œClearly this is going to be a billion dollar or more disaster,â€ Ron Lane, San Diego County Office of Emergency Services said.

Late Tuesday night, a new round of evacuations were ordered in two San Diego communities as yet another wave of flames threatened lives and property.

More planes and choppers will be up in the air battling flames and trying to finally get the upper hand on wildfires that have already blackened more than 600 square miles.

President Bush declared it a disaster, but there is now some hope that Wednesdayâ€™s break in the weather will help turn the corner.

More than a half million people have been forced to flee the fires and that number is still rising. To check the current status of the wildfires in California, click here.

Watch the video: FBI Gathers Evidence In Arson Probe Over California Wildfires

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