FOG HELPS SQUELCH SIMI BLAZE FLAMES MORE THAN 80 PERCENT CONTAINED BY PERSISTENT FIREFIGHTING TEAMS.Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer Aided by cool, moist weather, firefighters gained the upper hand Thursday on the week-old Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. Fire, which threatened communities miles apart but backed up to the same vast wilderness. In the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. , firefighters kept guard west of the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. , where charred woodlands mark the valley's western boundary. Around Moorpark, some of the firefighters worked to extinguish hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. while others got a much-needed chance to rest. ``We get a little sleep, a little food, a chance to call home,'' said Steve Heine, a fire captain from the Northern California Northern California, sometimes referred to as NorCal, is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The region contains the San Francisco Bay Area, the state capital, Sacramento; as well as the substantial natural beauty of the redwood forests, the northern town of Marinwood. ``We could be sent out again in five minutes.'' But the cool, damp weather that arrived overnight proved the greatest weapon against a fire that had consumed more than 107,000 acres and threatened hundreds of homes. By Thursday afternoon, the fire was more than 80 percent contained. ``The fog layer laid low and kept the flames down overnight so firefighters finally got some rest,'' said Inspector Brian Nicholson of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La . ``But you can't sit still. The winds can pick up again. They did it before.'' On Thursday, bulldozers cut wide swaths in the brush, and firefighters lit more backfires to protect hillside neighborhoods should the weather change and renew the fire's strength. They allowed flames to come within feet of the Newhall Church of the Nazarene Church of the Nazarene (năz'ərēn`), U.S. Protestant denomination established in 1908 through the union of the Church of the Nazarene, based in California; the Association of Pentecostal Churches, a New England group; and the Holiness before dousing them, removing any brush should the flames double back. ``We've had some scary points,'' said Suzanne Robertson, while setting out food and water for the firefighters in the church's kitchen. ``But the firefighters never wavered in their confidence that our church would be saved, and they were right.'' Much as they did Wednesday, the winds kicked up around 3 p.m. Thursday, complicating firefighters' efforts to burn what little brush was left at the foot of East Canyon in Newhall. ``It got away from us a little, but with this humidity, it's not going very far very fast, unlike earlier this week,'' said Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County firefighter Larry Samuelson. Near Piru in northwest Ventura County, flames burned deeper into the Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland. Elevations range from sea level to 8,831 feet. , while a damage assessment team worked to determine the extent of loss. The fire blackened black·en v. black·ened, black·en·ing, black·ens v.tr. 1. To make black. 2. To sully or defame: a scandal that blackened the mayor's name. 3. 68,000 acres and destroyed three homes and four outbuildings, but U.S. Forest Service officials aren't sure whether those structures were inhabited. ``One of those structures was an old forestry ranger station that had been abandoned several years ago,'' Forest Service spokesman Ed Linquist said. ``We don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if anyone was living there. This team, they're moving through - if there's a mobile home destroyed, was it used to store things, or was there a resident there? If there's a log cabin back in the wilderness, they walk the foundation. If there are knives and forks and spoons and screwdrivers and wrenches, someone lived there.'' The fire started Oct. 23 near Piru Canyon Road, and during the height of the past week's hazardous conditions, it threatened hundreds of homes in Fillmore and Piru. On Thursday, the fire was 30 percent contained but continued to burn to the northwest. The terrain is rough, and aircraft aren't available to the team of firefighters, but the cooler weather is helping somewhat, Linquist said. Just in case, firebreaks are being bulldozed well ahead of the blaze to protect the city of Santa Paula and the rustic Ojai area. ``People in Ojai are always concerned when there's fire, but it's not a worry from our perspective,'' he said. ``That's not to say things couldn't change immediately.'' Staff writers Andrea Cavanaugh and Heather MacDonald contributed to this report. Patricia Farrell Aidem, (661) 257-5251 pat.aidem(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes, map Photo: (1 -- color) A pair of firefighters from the Burbank department use a hose on Thursday to hold back the fire line near the Newhall Church of the Nazarene. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer (2 -- color) Maverick Muir, 4, plays with a toy firetruck in view of the real thing, and real Nevada County firefighters, near Stevenson Ranch on Thursday. Reed Saxon/Associated Press Box: FIRE FACTS Box/Map: THE SOUTHLAND WILDFIRES MAJOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES SOURCE: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection For other uses of "CDF", see CDF (disambiguation). The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) or CAL FIRE is the State of California's agency responsible for the administration of the state's private and public forests. and fire and law enforcement officials |
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