Northern California

Rain, Cooler Temperatures Help Firefighters Tame Massive King Fire

Officials say another night of wet weather helped crews gain further advantage on a massive wildfire in Northern California.

State fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said Saturday that nearly a half an inch of rain, along with cooler temperatures overnight, helped firefighters make significant progress battling the King Fire. The blaze has burned more than 150 square miles of a heavily forested region east of Sacramento.

Berlant says the fire is now 78 percent contained as more than 6,400 firefighters will continue strengthening containment lines and authorities will continue assessing the damage.

The blaze has destroyed about a dozen homes near the town of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County. Nearly 300 structures remain threatened, down dramatically from about 21,000 earlier this week.

The fire has cost more than $53 million to fight.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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