A general view of the Angeles Forest National Mill Creek Ranger Station in ruins after day seven of the Station Fire September 1, 2009. Firefighters took advantage of a turn in the weather on Tuesday to gain ground against the enormous wildfire burning for a week above Los Angeles, saying they now hoped to drive the flames away from historic Mount Wilson, a key telecommunications site.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 1 -- As humidity increased and temperatures dipped, firefighters made an aggressive charge on Tuesday against a massive wildfire in the northern hills of Los Angeles.
By late afternoon, the fire containment rose from five percent to 22 percent, fire commanders said.
"This is our first increase in containment since the beginning of the fire, and that's been due a little bit to the weather but I believe it is primarily the result of the firefighting efforts that have been made over the last several days," said Mike Dietrich, incident commander from the U.S. Forest Service.
Aided by a massive water-dropping aircraft, firefighters used backfires to keep the blaze away from homes, and from a historic observatory and communication facilities in Mount Wilson.
A piggy bank is seen among rubbles that burned during the Station Fire in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles, California September 1, 2009.
Since its breakout on Wednesday, the fire has destroyed a total of 62 homes, scorched 27,513 acres (about 11,143 hectares) and forced thousands to flee.
Thousands of homes were still considered threatened, but evacuation orders were lifted in some areas as firefighters successfully beat back the flames.
Much of the firefighting efforts focused on Mount Wilson, the site of a historic observatory and an array of broadcast communication towers used by the bulk of Southern California's television and radio stations, as well as public safety agencies.
"The fire is moving towards Mount Wilson as we speak from the north and from the west," Dietrich told a press conference.
"We expect to have progress made along the Mount Wilson area as the fire moves toward it, and it's currently not running so we feel confident about our ability to minimize any damages there," Dietrich said. "The fire's not angry at that particular point right now, and we're grateful for that."
The front of a vehicle that melted during the Station Fire is pictured in the Tujunga area of Los Angeles, California September 1, 2009.
Although much of the fire continued to burn out of control, its growth was slowed dramatically. The blaze grew about 16,000 acres ( 6,480 hectares) between Monday and Tuesday, but thanks to the aggressive firefight, it picked up only about 6,000 acres ( 2,430 hectares) on Tuesday.
Fire commanders said the rate of increase diminished thanks in part to a rise in humidity, beginning around Monday afternoon.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Deputy Chief Mike Bryant said firefighters made valiant efforts and saved hundreds of homes in the fire's destructive path.
At least 3,655 firefighters were deployed to fight the blaze, along with 399 fire engines, eight helicopters, 10 air tankers, 58 hand crews and 48 bulldozers.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation.
A general view of the Hidden Springs Cafe in ruins after a wildfire along Angeles Forest Highway at Angeles National Forest in California September 1, 2009.
(Xinhua)
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