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SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Dry, windy weather on Monday hampered efforts to contain a wildfire in northern Los Angeles County that has forced thousands of people to flee their homes, one of several blazes that crews were battling in the state.
Nearly 1,600 homes in Santa Clarita had been evacuated since the fire began Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage.
Evacuation orders were lifted for Fair Oaks Ranch after the fire burned through the area without destroying any homes. But several hundred homes remained evacuated Monday in Sand and Placerita canyons, said county fire Inspector Ed Osorio.
Flareups fanned by the erratic wind prevented crews from gaining much ground during the night despite lower temperatures.
"They didn't make as much progress last night, not as much as we wanted," Osorio said. "Today, our main concern is structure protection and making sure the homes aren't damaged."
The fireforced authorities to temporarily close a 10-mile stretch of the Antelope Valley Freeway east of Interstate 5.
It was one of several fires around California, from eastern San Diego County to Yosemite National Park, that have burned more than 40,000 acres. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sunday approved a request for federal funds for the blaze, one of six such requests in California during the past week.
A 3,600-acre fire about 90 miles east of Los Angeles in Riverside County was 50 percent contained Sunday.
Mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Sunday for about 500 homes, but voluntary evacuations were issued for 200 others, said Jim Boano, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry. The fire destroyed three homes and 11 outbuildings.
The blaze started when someone shooting target practice sparked a flame that spread to vegetation, officials said. The shooter was cited and may have to pay firefighting costs, Boano said.
Elsewhere, firefighters were making steady progress against a wildfire that has been burning since July 12, about 45 miles north of Los Angeles. The arson fire was about 80 percent contained Sunday and had charred 17,418 acres, destroying three homes and five outbuildings.