California crews are beating back deadly wildfire

BEAUMONT, Calif. -- Firefighters aided by dying winds appeared to be winning the battle yesterday against a 63-square-mile wildfire that killed four of their own and destroyed more than 30 homes.

The 40,450-acre blaze, which authorities say was set by an arsonist, was 70 percent contained four days after blowtorch gusts overran a US Forest Service crew. Four members were killed, and a fifth was left clinging to life with burns over most of his body.

The blaze was threatening a wilderness area plagued by drought and filled with dead trees, but fire officials were confident that if they could keep it out of that area they could have it under control by tomorrow night.

"It's the bottom of the ninth, so we want to make sure we hit it out of the park and win this thing," said Mike Wakoski, an incident commander for the Forest Service.

As firefighters were getting the upper hand on that blaze, another broke out yesterday in Warner Springs, about 70 miles northeast of San Diego. That fire began about noon and quickly blackened about 100 acres, forcing the evacuation of several homes, said Captain David Janssen of the California Department of Forestry.

More than 200 firefighters, five helicopters, and an air tanker rushed to the scene to save about 14 homes in the blaze's path. The cause was under investigation.

Church vigils were held across Southern California yesterday for the families of the four firefighters who were killed and for firefighter Pablo Cerda, who was badly injured. Cerda, 23, was in critical condition after surgery Friday to remove damaged skin.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he attended one of the services before stopping by a fire command center in Beaumont to offer words of encouragement to the more than 2,800 firefighters on the front lines.

Fire officials remained concerned yesterday about the blaze's eastern flank, which borders a wilderness area that has not burned in more than 30 years and has been devastated by a bark beetle infestation that has killed hundreds of trees.

"This is the only place the infrared shows any activity at all," said fire analyst Timothy Chavez. "This is also the place with the heaviest fuels we have."

The weather could play a role in their stand there. Unless there is a return of the Santa Ana winds, which quickly whipped the fire out of control Thursday, firefighters expect to surround the last of the blaze quickly. Investigators believe it was such a gust that engulfed the firefighters Thursday.

In all, the fire has destroyed 54 structures -- the 34 homes and 20 other buildings. The fire was set shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday at the base of a slope in the desert city of Cabazon, about 10 miles northwest of Palm Springs, authorities said .