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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Residents complain during pot hearing ... Banks back Medford's blight proposal ... Firefighters defend home from wildland blaze ... Residents complain during pot hearing ... Banks back Medford's blight proposal ... Firefighters defend home from wildland blaze ... WESTERN WILDFIRES Western wildfires still rage but some progress being made Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 6:07 PM Updated Jun 24, 2016 at 6:45 AM By The Associated Press Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 6:07 PM Updated Jun 24, 2016 at 6:45 AM » Social News LOS ANGELES — Firefighters battling fires raging through Western states are contending with weather and human interference, but some progress is being made. Here is a look at some noteworthy fires Thursday: CALIFORNIA Cooler weather helped crews fighting two fires that burned more than 8 square miles of chaparral and brush in the Angeles National Forest and foothill communities northeast of Los Angeles. The fires were 15 percent contained. More than 1,300 homes were evacuated during the 4-day-old blaze, but around half have been allowed back. On Thursday, authorities let hundreds of evacuated residents return briefly to homes in Azusa and Duarte to gather belongings. Residents might not be allowed back permanently for several more days, officials said. One of fires broke out Monday when a car ran off a highway. No homes have burned. Near the San Diego County border with Mexico, a nearly 11-sqaure-mile fire was 20 percent contained after burning five homes. The blaze still threatened 200 homes. A heat wave coupled with nightly wind gusts drove the fires earlier in the week before slightly cooler weather took hold. But National Weather Service forecasts warned red-flag conditions of extreme fire danger could return by evening. UTAH Crews battling a lightning-caused fire in southern Utah have faced record heat, nearly inaccessible terrain and, now, drone intruders. Drones sightings forced crews to ground firefighting aircraft on three separate days. One drone came within feet of a helicopter, fire officials said. The fire has burned about 1 square mile near Pine Valley, north of St. George, and prompted the evacuation of 185 homes. People were allowed back to their homes Thursday. Washington County's sheriff is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the drone operator. COLORADO A forest fire near the Wyoming line threatened about 40 cabins after exploding in size to more than 8 square miles, federal fire officials said. Shifting winds sent the fire surging Wednesday from a single square mile. Trees killed by a beetle infestation fueled the flames in and around Routt National Forest, 140 miles north of Denver and 2 miles from Wyoming. The deadwood made it too dangerous to send in crews to battle the flames so they were attacking the fire's perimeter, fire information officer Brian Scott said. The weather was cooler, but firefighters were keeping an eye on the sky. There was a chance of thunderstorms that could bring dangerously erratic wind and little rain. "Then it's anybody's guess where those flames will go," Scott said. ARIZONA In eastern Arizona, firefighters managed to corral nearly half of a fire that roared through about 67 square miles of pine, juniper and brush on an Apache Indian reservation. Crews managed to light backfires that drew a "black line" around the south end of the blaze, fire information spokeswoman Rita Baysinger said. "They're really working their hearts out, and I think we've turned a corner," she said. Still, more than 15,000 people in Pinetop-Lakeside, Show Low and nearby mountain communities were being told to be ready to evacuate if necessary. Temperatures that hit 100 degrees earlier in the week were down to the mid-90s. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jun. 23, 2016 at 6:07 PM Updated Jun 24, 2016 at 6:45 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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