LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters were
still battling wildfires near Los Angeles Tuesday, as calm weather continued to
give them a hand in conquering the three devastating fires that had destroyed
hundreds of houses and forced thousands people to evacuate.
The wildfires stared over the weekend have been
largely contained as of midday Tuesday after they burned a total of 842 homes to
ground, but firefighters were keeping a watchful eye on wind and weather, fire
officials said.
 |
|
An airplane drops flame retardant on a
home as fire burns in Diamond Bar, California Nov. 16, 2008. .
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
The cause of the fires remains unknown, although
authorities blamed the stubbornness of the blazes on the high temperatures and
strong winds in the past few days. No major casualties were reported in the
fires.
In the Sylmar suburban area north of Los Angeles,
some residents of a mobile home park that almost wiped off by the fire returned
to the site Tuesday and began sifting through the charred remains of their
belongings.
More than 600 structures, including 480 modular homes
at the mobile home park, have been destroyed since the outbreak of the Sylmar
fire on Friday evening.
 |
|
Firefighters work to put out a fire
burning alongside a road near Carbon Canyon park in Brea, California Nov,
16, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
Meanwhile, officials began to consider new
regulations to better protect mobile homes, whose residents are usually elders
and economically vulnerable, from wildfires.
Officials on Tuesday ordered the Los Angeles County
Fire Department to come up with recommendations for changes in the building
codes for mobile homes and mobile home parks in high fire hazard areas that
would reduce their vulnerability. The report is set to be presented within 60
days.