LOS ANGELES – Firefighters gained ground Sunday against three wildfires burning across Southern California but worried about a forecast for hot winds.
A 1,045-acre fire in Burbank was 67 percent contained after firefighters were aided by cooler, overnight breezes, said Capt. Ron Bell of the Burbank Fire Department.
Residents returned to about 70 evacuated homes in Sunset Canyon. But firefighters were concerned about a forecast for warmer winds that could bring 50 mph gusts and re-ignite what appeared to be a “cold mountain,” Bell said.
Elsewhere, more than 1,000 emergency personnel battled a blaze in steep, rugged terrain in and around San Bernardino National Forest, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles. The 935-acre fire was 60 percent contained Sunday but had the potential to flare up in windy conditions, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Some residents evacuated Friday were allowed to return late Saturday, but mandatory evacuations remained Sunday for Seven Oaks, Barton Flats and Angelus Oaks.
A wildfire that torched more than 24,000 acres on the border of Los Angeles and Ventura counties was 65 percent contained.
D.C.: DeLay says he’ll do his job
A defiant Tom DeLay, removed as House majority leader because of a criminal indictment, said Sunday he can do his job even without the title and pledged to continue his close partnership with House Speaker Dennis Hastert in pushing the GOP’s agenda. DeLay, a Republican from Texas, was charged Wednesday with conspiring with two political associates to use corporate donations to support Texas legislative candidates. House rules require any member of the elected leadership to step down temporarily if indicted.
Utah: Mormons to add two temples
The Mormon church will build two new temples in Utah to accommodate a rise in the number of members practicing the church’s most sacred rituals, such as baptisms and marriage ceremonies, the church’s president said. One temple will be built in South Jordan, about 20 miles south of Salt Lake City, in a sprawling 4,200-acre, 13,000-unit housing development that is under construction, said Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Gordon Hinckley. He did not reveal a second site.
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