LA firefighters continue to battle city's biggest fire

  • 04/09/2017
Los Angeles fire
While the blaze has eased, shifting winds could spread burning embers through Los Angeles. Photo credit: Reuters

A sprinkling of rain and easing temperatures have helped more than a thousand firefighters battling the largest wildfire in Los Angeles history gain the upper hand on the blaze, but officials warned that danger remains.

"We've turned the corner, but this is not over," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters on Sunday afternoon.

"With winds this strong, anything can happen".

Mr Garcetti said shifting winds could cause burning embers to spread the fire once more through the rugged northern edge of Los Angeles.

The nearly 2400-hectare La Tuna Fire, named after the canyon area where it erupted on Friday, has destroyed three homes and damaged one. More than 700 homes were evacuated as the blaze tore through thick brush that has not burned in decades.

Of the 1,400 people who evacuated from their homes, 90 percent had returned by Sunday afternoon and Mr Garcetti said nearly all would be back before the day was over.

The wildfire is the largest in terms of acreage in the city's history.

It was considered 15 percent contained by Sunday afternoon, up from 10 percent on Sunday morning.

"We do not have this fire contained," Mr Garcetti said, "but we do have a good sense of, in the next day or two, how we can bring this fire to rest."

The stretch of the 210 freeway, a major thoroughfare that has been closed for several days, is likely to re-open on Monday.

Reuters