Wildfires rage across Western US, but homes mostly spared

LOS ANGELES (AP) — For days, wildfires have raged amid spiking heat across Southern California and much of the West, driving hundreds of people from their homes.

Yet homes have overwhelmingly remained safe so far, after aggressive and strategic firefighting and a dose of luck.

In the foothill suburbs northeast of Los Angeles, a major wildfire gave a major scare to homeowners when it broke out within feet of residential streets.

But a day later, firefighters had stopped its progress with bombardment from helicopters and crews hiking into the hills to douse it and cut fire lines.

"They are working so hard, it's excruciating with the heat, and up and down these hills, they're steep," LA County fire Capt. Mike McCormick said.

Homeowner Gordon Witby said Tuesday he couldn't believe how close the flames had been to his house in Duarte a day earlier, and how calm the scene was now.

"The flames were so high. And so fierce," Witby told KABC-TV.

The blaze, along with a neighboring one that broke out shortly before, were 10 percent contained on Tuesday night after burning about 7½ square miles, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Nathan Judy said.