17,100-Acre Wildfire Slows to a Crawl
A lightning-sparked wildfire that has raged across the Chihuahua Valley appeared to be slowing Saturday afternoon as firefighters reported that 19% of the 17,100-acre blaze was contained.
“It’s slowed down. It’s just sitting there cooking,” said Lora Lowes, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention. “We should be able to pick up some containment.” Though fire authorities had hoped that rainfall would aid them Saturday, infrequent cloudbursts did little to dampen the blaze. Also, predictions of lightning raised the possibility of newly ignited flames. Authorities still predict that the fire will be fully contained by Wednesday.
The so-called Coyote fire started last Wednesday, about 30 miles south of Temecula. The fire, which straddles the border of Riverside and San Diego counties, has destroyed a biological research facility operated by San Diego State University, but has so far spared nearby homes and the Boy Scouts’ Lost Valley Scout Reservation.
The wildfire is the largest in Southern California this season.
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