A lull in hot, dry winds that had fueled a deadly southern California wildfire gave firefighters a break, but they warned residents to remain wary of the deadly, unpredictable blaze.
The arson fire near Palm Springs has killed four firefighters and injured six and consumed 39,900 acres (16,150 hectares).
Fire crews have managed to contain 40 per cent of it in the rugged and brush-choked terrain, despite seasonal Santa Ana winds that gusted to 45 miles per hour (72 kph). By yesterday morning, the huge plume of dark brown smoke over the mountains had diminished significantly, winds had calmed and firefighters were strengthening their containment lines.
One of the injured men remained on life support with burns over 90 per cent of his body.
The reward for information about the arsonists who caused the blaze had risen to $500,000 (€400,00).
Fire crews who had spent the night battling the inferno near where the firefighters died said the area was desolated, but some homes had been saved.
The blaze has yet to wreak the destruction of wildfires in October 2003, which burned for days outside Los Angeles and near San Diego, killing 24 people, destroying more than 3,000 homes and burning some 740,000 acres (300,000 hectares).