LOS ANGELES — Firefighters increased their containment of a large wildfire in mountains north of Los Angeles on Monday after a weekend of explosive, wind-driven growth along Interstate 5.
The Post Fire was 8% surrounded after scorching more than 24 square miles (61 square kilometers) and forcing the evacuation of at least 1,200 campers, off-roaders and hikers from the Hungry Valley recreation area on Saturday.
''That 8% is good because it means we are increasing and bolstering our containment lines,'' said Kenichi Haskett, a Los Angeles County Fire Department section chief.
Firefighters hoped to hold the fire at its current size, but further growth was still possible, especially towards the south, Haskett said.
The fire broke out as weather turned hot and windy in a region where grasses spawned by a rainy winter have long since dried out and easily burn.
The massive columns of smoke that marked the fire's initial rampage were gone by Monday morning. But Sunday's smoke drifted some 225 miles (360 kilometers) northwest across the Mojave Desert to cast a slight haze in the Las Vegas area. Nevada air quality officials issued an alert advising children, older adults, and people with respiratory and heart disease to stay indoors.
In Northern California, a wildfire sparked Sunday prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a sparsely populated area near Lake Sonoma. Known as the Point Fire, it was 20% surrounded Monday after charring nearly 2 square miles (5 square kilometers) about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of San Francisco, and destroyed at least one structure.
Ben Nicholls, division chief of the Cal Fire district in area covering the Point fire, said Monday morning that fire activity subsided overnight.
