Winds ease, helping California firefighters

The Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties has killed three people and destroyed at least 95 buildings, including a private winery and a five-star resort. But winds began to calm by Tuesday, giving firefighters a break as they tried to contain the blaze raging through Northern California’s wine country. The fire has burned nearly 73 square miles.

Will conditions continue to improve? Firefighters were feeling “much more confident” after the change in weather conditions, said Ben Nicholls, a division chief with Cal Fire. But in Southern California, the dry, hot Santa Ana winds will keep the fire risk high there through at least Tuesday afternoon. Nearly 30 wildfires are burning throughout the state. Pacific Gas & Electric restored many of its customers’ electricity but kept the power out for about 24,000 people in Napa, Sonoma, Shasta, and Tehama counties to avoid sparking new blazes.

Dig deeper: See Cal Fire’s active wildfire map.