Largest LA Fire Nearly Half-Contained

Fire officials Wednesday updated the status of wildfires burning across a wide swath of Southern California, with the largest nearly half-contained.

The Witch fire and Poomacha fire in northern San Diego County were nearly merged. The 196,000-acre Witch has been the worst in terms of property loss with 656 homes destroyed, but the Poomacha has scorched 25,000 acres and was out of control on Palomar Mountain.

The Harris fire burning between the city of San Diego and the border remained around 73,000 acres and 10 percent contained. Commanders say it will be the end of the month before the blaze is fully contained.

The Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base is the site of three fires, one of which is burning near the San Onofre nuclear power plant and its accompanying transmission lines.

The Ranch fire near Castaic is the largest active blaze in Los Angeles County but is 45-percent contained.

The Grass Valley and Slide fires near Lake Arrowhead pose a threat to scores of homes in the mountain resort area. Unlike the other fires, these blazes are in timber area and have resulted in dangerous crown fires.