US wildfires under control

A Northern California wildfire was 90% contained today after forcing thousands to evacuate, fire officials said.

The blaze destroyed several homes and closed a six-mile stretch of the scenic Highway 1 in Santa Cruz County.

The fire near Watsonville could be fully contained by the end of the day, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials said. It had charred 630 acres.

“We made some good progress over the evening and hope to have the same today,” said fire spokesman Battalion Chief Paul Van Gerwen.

However, evacuation orders remained in place for the 2,000 people evacuated from their homes yesterday. Some evacuees spent the night at an emergency shelter set up at a local school.

About 650 firefighters were working in hot, dry weather to contain the blaze, which destroyed as many as 15 buildings, including several homes, fire officials said.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation, Mr Van Gerwen said.