Firefighters Gain Ground on Oakland Wildfire as Winds Calm Down

In Oakland, California, fire crews made good progress against a wildfire that had forced over 500 people to evacuate. The blaze started on Friday and destroyed two homes, fanned by strong winds known as "Diablo winds. " Luckily, the weather turned calmer on Sunday, helping firefighters increase containment to 70%. Most residents were able to return home by Saturday, though some areas remained under evacuation orders while hotspots were being extinguished. "You can't be too sure, " said Oakland Fire Chief Damon Covington. "We don't want the fire to re-ignite once we've left. " The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

This fire happened just before the anniversary of a devastating 1991 fire in the Oakland Hills, which destroyed nearly 3, 000 homes and claimed 25 lives. Meanwhile, in Southern California, a small wildfire in Riverside County was fully contained by Saturday. This fire was also driven by strong winds but was quickly brought under control.

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