Californian wildfire started by cigarette
The Californian wildfire that has destroyed four homes and forced hundreds of people to leave their homes near San Diego was started by a cigarette.
Investigators believe a careless smoker on Interstate 8 sparked the blaze early on Wednesday, Mike Conrad, a fire incident commander, says.
By last night, the fire had burned 10,500 acres, at least four homes and caused the evacuation of about 500 people from the Alpine area.
But there is good news for the 2,000 firefighters tackling the blaze and the residents.
"The wind is dying down so it's looking good," said Audrey Hagen of Heartland Fire Communications.
Full containment is expected and many residents are being allowed back into their homes.
Gusts up to 65mph fanned the fire, forcing the closure of two casinos and 12 miles of main roads for 11 hours. Two people suffered minor injuries, including a firefighter with facial burns. Winds have now dropped to just 10mph.
A smoky haze was thick enough to show up on satellite images, and it rained ash on San Diego, 30 miles away from the scene.
