Sea breeze brings respite in wildfire battle

A cool sea breeze provided some relief for US firefighters battling a blaze which has destroyed scores of homes in California, but they feared dry inland winds could return to stoke the fire today.

“Sundowners”, fierce local winds that sweep down the mountain slopes from north to south and out to sea, are being blamed for fanning a small wildfire into a savage inferno which has consumed 8,600 acres (3,480 hectares) and about 80 homes, threatening the celebrity enclave and other coastal towns.