Break in Weather May Tame Wildfire in California

A wildfire tearing through a coastal region in Southern California nearly tripled in size as high temperatures fueled the flames, but a fire official said a favorable shift in the weather will likely help crews make progress against the flames today. The fire 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles mushroomed to 43 square miles yesterday as 900 firefighters used engines, aircraft, bulldozers, and other equipment to battle the flames. Forecasters, however, said a weekend of lower temperatures and increased humidity should bring relief.

"It's a total turnaround from what we had," says a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. "It should be a much better day for firefighters." Despite its size and speed of growth, the fire that broke out Thursday and quickly moved through the Camarillo Springs area has caused damage to just 15 structures, though it was threatening thousands. (More California wildfires stories.)