A fresh blast of strong winds Thursday hit a wildfire in the foothills east of Los Angeles but did not spread the blaze that drove people from 1,600 homes, officials said. The fire remained within the previous burn area despite new 60-m.p.h. winds, the U.S. Forest Service said.
But the winds forced the grounding of helicopters and planes that were being used to fight the fire that began Wednesday in San Bernardino National Forest.
The lack of aircraft prevented an accurate mapping of the blaze that has charred at least 1,000 acres. The fire was 10 percent contained. Nine schools in Rancho Cucamonga were closed for a second day, and evacuated residents who had returned home were warned to be ready to leave again. - AP