LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Most fires that have ravaged Southern California in the past week and killed a number of residents have been contained, authorities said on Monday.

    As residents began returned to their homes, firefighters appeared to be corralling the few remaining blazes.

The remains of a burnt road marker can be seen in Fallbrook, California, October 27, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    The most destructive of the blazes, San Diego County's Witch fire, had been 90-percent contained after destroying 1,040 homes and 30 businesses and killing two people.

    Evacuation orders throughout the region had largely been lifted by noon Sunday. In the seven Southern Californian counties affected by the fires, 1,454 people remained in public shelters that had held well over 20,000 only days before.

    Firefighters said they were optimistic over extinguishing the remaining fires as weather conditions improved.

    "We've turned a corner here," said Frank McCarton, chief deputy director in the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. "But we have a long road for recovery, and we need to focus on that now."

    "We are on to the recovery stage," said Michelle Sheffler, 41, who lost her home in San Diego's Rancho Bernardo community. "I see people moving forward."

A woman walks her dog past a destroyed home in Rancho Bernardo, California, Oct.27, 2007.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Still, firefighters and others cautioned that the long battle was not yet over. The Santiago fire in Orange County was 65-percent contained as of Sunday night and was not expected to be fully surrounded until Friday. The Harris fire in San Diego County was 70-percent contained and was expected to be encircled by Wednesday.

    Significant work remained to gain control of the Santiago fire in eastern Orange County and the Poomacha fire in northeastern San Diego County. But both were more than 50-percent contained and neither posed an immediate threat to homes or businesses.

    Bill Peters, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said that if high winds return, the fires could flare up again.

    "We definitely are closing in on it," he said. "The bulk of the fires are fully contained or near containment, unless we get some adverse weather to kick us back into active fire."

Firefighters from various California towns fight a house fire ignited by the Slide wildfire in Arrowbear, California., Saturday, Oct. 27, 2007.   (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    It will take months or even years to rebuild the homes, businesses and the Malibu church that succumbed to the 35 fires that swept through seven counties, according to authorities.

    The series of blazes, which once stretched from Ventura County to south of the U.S.-Mexico border, will die down as among the most destructive in recent California history.

    The fires destroyed 2,813 structures. They charred 518,489 acres (about 210,000 hectares) -- an area more than double the size of New York City -- while killing seven people and injuring 113 firefighters and 26 civilians, according to official statistics. 

Firefighters gain upper hand on most fires in S California

    LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters have gained the upper hand on most wildfires that have swept southern California in the past few days, authorities said on Saturday.

    In San Diego, most fires died down after burning nearly 142 hectares of land despite weekend winds which could either hinder or help containment efforts. Full story

California fire death toll rises

    LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Two more bodies were found in a fire-ravaged home on Thursday, bringing to 11 the death toll from wildfires in across Southern California.

    The bodies were found in the charred remains of a home in Poway, north of San Diego hit hard by the 77,000-hectare fire. Full story

Bush orders broader aid to wildfire-devastated California

    WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush issued major disaster declarations for California Wednesday, facilitating broader federal assistance to the wildfire-devastated state.

    The president's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the seven California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, according to a statement issued from the White House. Full story