Los Angeles wildfire, largest in city history, menaces hundreds of homes

More than a thousand firefighters battling the largest wildfire in Los Angeles history contended with erratic winds on Sunday, but more moderate temperatures could help contain a blaze that has forced hundreds to evacuate their homes, officials said.

The nearly 5,900-acre (2400-hectare) La Tuna Fire, named after the canyon area near the northern edge of Los Angeles where it erupted on Friday, has destroyed three homes and damaged one.Authorities had evacuated more than 700 homes in a Los Angeles neighborhood and in nearby Burbank and Glendale.

The blaze in thick brush that has not burned in decades was slowly creeping down rugged hillsides toward houses and was only 10 percent contained by Sunday.“Our priority is to put firefighters in a position to protect lives and property,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said at a news conference on Sunday. “There’s a lot of fuel out there left to burn.”

Source: Los Angeles wildfire, largest in city history, menaces hundreds of homes