RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. (AP) -- Firefighters battled flames and treacherous Santa Ana winds Saturday as they fought a wildfire that destroyed four houses and chased more than 1,000 people from their homes.
``It's going to be a lot of hard work,'' said Bill Peters, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry. ``We just don't know what the winds are going to do. But we're planning for the worst so we're not caught by surprise.''
The so-called ``Devil Winds,'' which pick up speed as they blow through mountain canyons from the desert to the coast this time of year, were forecast to reach speeds of 25 to 35 mph Saturday, with 50 mph gusts possible.
On Friday, the fire forced the temporary closure of Interstates 210 and 15. Ash from the blaze dusted cars in the city of Arcadia, 30 miles away, where the Breeders' Cup was scheduled Saturday at Santa Anita racetrack. The fire sent billowing clouds of black smoke into the skies east of Los Angeles.
The blaze, believed to have been intentionally set, has blackened 12,600 acres since igniting Tuesday near the San Bernardino National Forest, said Martin Esparza, a fire information officer. It was about 20 percent contained early Saturday.
More than 1,500 firefighters from throughout the state, supported by water-dropping aircraft, battled flames from back yards in northeastern Rancho Cucamonga and other communities in the sprawling suburbs about 50 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.
Four homes valued at a total of $1 million, two outbuildings and six vehicles were destroyed in a sparsely populated area as the fire moved west. Thousands of people were evacuated Friday morning as the flames neared housing tracts but by evening more half were allowed to return to their homes. The evacuation remained in effect for about 1,000 people, fire officials said.
``The threat is still very imminent to well over 1,000 residences,'' said fire information officer Gil Sanchez.
The blaze was just one of several that swept through Southern California this week as temperatures across the region reached unseasonably high levels, hitting the 90s and even topping 100 in some areas.
A fire near Piru in Ventura County charred about 1,250 acres but was burning away from homes and was 30 percent contained early Saturday.
At the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, 50 miles north of San Diego, firefighters battled a 4,680-acre blaze that threatened about 300 homes in Del De Luz, as well as the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness, a 39,000-acre federal preserve.
In northern Los Angeles County, about 30 miles from downtown Los Angeles, a fire burning near Santa Clarita destroyed a trailer and threatened several homes as it raged across 1,500 acres.
A 2,857-acre arson fire in the Reche Canyon area of Riverside County was contained Thursday after destroying five homes, a barn, 21 outbuildings, a boat and several vehicles.
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