Damp Weekend Helps California Firefighting Efforts

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A damp weekend helped firefighters stop the growth of a huge Southern California wildfire, one of many burning around the state.

There had been some fears that Sunday thunderstorms while wetting the blaze would cause mudslides and other problems for firefighters, but none of them materialized, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

More than a week after it broke out, the wildfire in the San Bernardino National Forest had scorched 48 square miles of desert brush and forest timber and it was 50 percent contained.

The fire destroyed a house and three out-buildings. A team of experts "will continue to evaluate the fire area for further damage," the Forest Service said in a statement.

Authorities reopened a highway, and mandatory evacuations were lifted except for community of Burns Canyon. Hiking trails and camp sites remained closed. The firefighting effort has cost $27 million so far.

Four firefighters were treated for injuries. The cause is under investigation.

In Northern California, hundreds of weekend lightning strikes sparked three dozen new wildfires, but all stayed small and were quickly put out, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Many of the fires torched trees in rugged terrain that's only accessible by hiking, the Forest Service said.

Firefighters reported making headway on other fires, including a 500-acre blaze in Madera County sparked by a vehicle was 97 percent surrounded.

A fire caused by lightning in Alpine County south of Lake Tahoe was 37 percent surrounded after burning about 27 square miles since Friday. The fire continued to smolder, mostly in the wilderness.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.