Firefighters report 'good progress' against Western blazes

In California, more than 7,000 firefighters are battling 13 large fires, including this one in San Bernardino County

August 29, 1999
Web posted at: 7:15 p.m. EDT (2315 GMT)

BOISE, Idaho (CNN) -- Nine large fires in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas were expected to be fully contained Sunday after firefighters reported making "good progress" in Saturday's efforts.

Meanwhile, about 460 new small wildfires were reported nationwide Saturday, said the National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho. Three hundred of those fires were reported in the southern region, from east Texas to Florida. The rest were scattered throughout the West.

Nineteen large fires in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Texas have charred more than 200,000 acres. Nearly 12,000 firefighters are battling the fires throughout the West, helped by 910 firetrucks, 118 helicopters, 19 airtankers, and 1,885 support workers.

Mostly wet thunderstorms are expected in Montana, eastern Idaho, and Wyoming Sunday. California and Nevada will be clear and hot.

California battling 13 large fires

In California, more than 7,000 firefighters are battling 13 large fires that have burned 117,178 acres.

In Southern California, more than 300 firefighters were making headway against three separate brush fires on U.S. Forest Service land in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

The "Willow Fire," in San Bernardino County near Lake Arrowhead, was 10 percent contained and threatening a timber range, Arco oil sites, and a private ranch after burning 6,000 acres in less than a day. One minor injury was reported.

Forest Service spokeswoman Patricia Pierce said firefighters were hampered by heat, wind and falling embers.

The "Mixing Fire," in Riverside County near Lake Hemet, broke out Saturday afternoon and consumed 2,500 acres. It was 10 percent contained by Sunday morning. Heat and rough terrain were making firefighting efforts more difficult.

A helicopter drops water on a fire in San Bernardino County, California

The "Pines Fire," also in Riverside County, was 50 percent contained Sunday morning, and had consumed more than 1,500 acres. Four outbuildings have burned and several people from the Twin Pines Mobile Home Park were evacuated. Heavy brush and inaccessible terrain slowed the firefighters' progress.

In Oregon's "Badger Fire," in the Sheldon-Hart National Wildlife Refuge near the southern border of the state, 30,000 acres have burned in a fire that spread rapidly Saturday but was predicted to be controlled Sunday.

So far this year, 69,449 fires have burned 4.2 million acres in the country, said Sheri Ascherfeld of the National Interagency Fire Center. More than half of the charred land is in Alaska and Nevada.

This year's fires are worse than usual. Over the past decade, an average of 57,964 fires have burned 2.5 million acres by August 29, said Ascherfeld.

Both 1994 and 1996 were considered "extreme fire years." By August 29, 1994, 57,176 fires in the country had burned 3 million acres. In 1996 by this time of year, 84,460 fires had burned 5 million acres.

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