A firefighter douses hot spots from a wildfire in the Sunland-Tujunga of Los Angeles, the United States, on Sept. 4, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhao Hanrong)
Weather change has helped firefighters in the U.S. city of Los Angeles considerably in the battle against an ongoing wildfire which has become the largest in the city's history, authorities said Monday.
The maximum temperature dropped to around 32 degrees Celsius Monday in La Tuna Canyon and nearby fire areas, with winds at 3 to 10 miles (4.83 to 16 km) per hour and a relative humidity at 40 to 45 percent.
The fast-moving wildfire has torn through La Tuna Canyon near Burbank, Los Angeles County in the western U.S. state of California, since Friday, prompting emergency proclamations by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Governor Jerry Brown of California successively.
Local officials emphasized that the weather change really helped the fire crews do their work more easily and safely.
"The weather has been very favorable for us today," Los Angeles Fire Department Deputy Chief Trevor Richmond told a news briefing Monday afternoon.
"Temperature has been significantly lower," he said.
Some 1,061 firefighters were still working for a fourth day to put out the 7,003-acre (2,800-hectare) wildfire and containment was still at 30 percent, said officials.
Earlier in the morning, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas said Sunday's rain helped firefighters considerably.
"Very favorable to the firefighters making continued progress," Terrazas said.
"As long as the weather continues to cooperate, I am very confident and convinced we'll be fine," he added.
"But that could change with the wind. Fire operations are not over. There is still a lot of work to be done," Terrazas warned.
Firefighters continued to concentrate their efforts on dousing hot spots and digging fire lines.
"Overnight, the weather cooperated and we received some rain. It appears, at least for now, that the fire in the Burbank hillside has laid down significantly," said Burbank Police Sgt. Derek Green.
All mandatory evacuation orders in Los Angeles, Glendale and Burbank have been lifted since Sunday evening and residents were allowed to return to their homes.
Three homes were destroyed and one was damaged by flames.
Local resident Craig Bollesen, the son of a couple who lost their home,returned to the rubble with his friends. It's one of the three homes destroyed during the blaze.
Although the family who lived in the region since 1957 had prepared for a wildfire and cleared bush nearby, "the fire came up so quickly, rushing down the hillside, just like a freight train running down the hill at us."
"We are going to try to help my parents to recover. They are old. We worry about them," he told Xinhua.
Bollesen spoke highly of the hard work of firefighters even though his parents have lost their home in the destructive wildfire.
"They treat everyone's house like it's theirs," said Bollesen. "They did the best they can."
