Cooler weather helps crews tame California wildfires

LOWER LAKE, Calif. -- Cooler weather helped crews make inroads Monday against a massive wildfire in California that tore through two dozen homes, threatened thousands more and forced scores of people to flee the flames.

The largest blaze in drought-stricken California roughly tripled in size over the weekend to 93 square miles (240 square kilometres), generating its own winds that spread the flames at an unprecedented rate, officials said.

Lower temperatures and higher humidity allowed firefighters to gain more control in the Lower Lake area north of San Francisco, increasing containment after days of stalled efforts, said Capt. Don Camp of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Numerous other wildfires in California, as well as the states of Washington and Oregon took off as the effects of drought and summer heat turned the West Coast combustible.

In California, blazes killed a firefighter last week and injured four others this weekend in different areas. Twelve thousand people have been forced from their homes or are being advised to leave. The fire has destroyed 24 homes and 26 outbuildings.

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  An air tanker drops fire retardant near Lower Lake, Calif. on July 31, 2015. A series of wildfires were intensified by dry vegetation, triple-digit temperatures and gusting winds. (AP / Jeff Chiu)

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  Flames erupt on the hills above Pleasants Valley Road, Tuesday, July 28, 2015, near Winters, Calif. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Vacaville Reporter via AP)