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With the ferocious Santa Ana winds dying down, firefighters on Monday made gains on three raging wildfires that have destroyed hundreds of homes and forces thousands of residents to flee.Wind gusts had peaked to more than 70 mph at the height of the fires over the weekend, but by Monday morning they weakened to about 20 mph, the National Weather Service said."It's wonderful news," Angela Garbiso, a spokeswoman with Orange County Fire Authority, said Monday. "When it calms down, it obviously makes it easier for us to handle this massive undertaking."The fires, which have burned since Thursday night from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and counties to the east, have burned more than 35,000 acres or 55 square miles. More than 800 houses, mobile homes and apartments have been destroyed in the fires in Los Angeles County, to the east in Riverside and Orange counties, and to the northwest in Santa Barbara County.A wind-blown wildfire that began in Riverside County and spread to Orange,Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties was 40 percent contained Monday morning after having scorched 28,889 acres, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.In Orange, Riverside, LA and San Bernardino counties, the wildfire dubbed the Freeway Complex Fire (also has been called the Triangle Complex Fire) chewed through nearly 24,000 acres, destroying 160 structures.In Orange, Riverside, LA and San Bernardino counties, the wildfire dubbed the Freeway Complex Fire (also has been called the Triangle Complex Fire) chewed through nearly 24,000 acres, destroying 160 structures.In Anaheim, more than 4,500 homes were evacuated, affecting more than 12,600 people. Another 8,000 to 10,000 people were evacuated in Yorba Linda.More than 60 homes burned in the communities of Corona, Yorba Linda and the Anaheim Hills area of Anaheim. In addition, 50 units of one apartment complex burned, Orange County fire spokeswoman Angela Garbiso said.Orange County residents grateful for the efforts of firefighters battling the Freewat Complex fire have brought so much food anddrink to a Brea fire station that they have no more room to store it, a police sergeant said Sunday afternoon. A back room at Fire Station 3 on Lambert Road was so filled with cases of water, Gatorade, Diet Pepsi, pizzas, cookies and sandwiches that Brea policeSgt. Kelly Carpenter told a woman, "We have no more space." (Full Story)As in the days of Noah.....
