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Weather aids Calif. wildfire fight

A flow of damp air off the Pacific cut down the activity, and rain is expected.

CAMARILLO, Calif. - A major change in weather calmed a huge wildfire burning in Southern California coastal mountains Saturday, and firefighters were hopeful that a predicted chance of rain would become reality during the weekend.

High winds and withering hot, dry air was replaced by the normal flow of damp air off the Pacific, significantly reducing fire activity.

"The fire is really laying down," said Tom Kruschke, a Ventura County Fire Department spokesman.

Containment of the 43-square-mile blaze at the western end of the Santa Monica Mountains increased to 30 percent, he said. Evacuation orders, however, remained in place for residences on three roads.

Nearly 1,900 firefighters using engines, bulldozers, and aircraft intended to take advantage of the change to further corral the blaze.

"I think we will make some significant progress," county fire Capt. Mike Lindbery said early Saturday.

Firefighting efforts were to be focused on the fire's east side, rugged canyons that are a mix of public and private lands, Kruschke said.

The National Weather Service said an approaching low pressure system would bring a 20 percent chance of showers Sunday afternoon. The change in the weather was also expected to bring gusty winds to some parts of Southern California, but well away from the fire area.

Despite its size and speed of growth, the fire that broke out Thursday and quickly moved through neighborhoods of Camarillo Springs and Thousand Oaks has caused damage to just 15 structures, though it has threatened thousands. The only injuries as of Saturday were a civilian and a firefighter involved in a traffic accident away from the fire.

Residents were grateful so many homes were spared.

"It came pretty close. All of these houses - these firemen did a tremendous job. Very, very thankful for them," Shayne Poindexter said. Flames came within 30 feet of the house he was building.