Firefighters Contain 2-Month-Old Wildfire in California's Los Padres National Forest

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Firefighters contained a two-month-old wildfire that burned 240,000 acres in California's Los Padres National Forest, and crews neared containment on blazes in Idaho and Michigan, authorities said.

In eastern Washington state, meanwhile, crews gained the upper hand on a wildfire that had prompted the evacuation of a small town.

Officials declared the California fire contained on Sunday. It had burned 375 square miles of wilderness since it was ignited by sparks from equipment used to repair a water pipe on July 4.

"It's quite a relief for everybody here," California Forest Service spokesman Victor Gutierrez said.

In northern Los Angeles County, however, crews tackled two brush fires.

In Angeles National Forest, one fire had burned 200 acres and was spreading in several directions about 10 miles east of Santa Clarita, Forest Service spokesman Stanton Florea said. No homes were immediately threatened, Florea said.

The other blaze had burned 150 acres near Elizabeth Lake in the Lancaster area.

In central Idaho, crews worked to finish off a wildfire that last week threatened a ski resort on Bald Mountain and at one time forced the evacuation of 2,500 homes near Ketchum. Authorities expected full containment Monday.

The fire has scorched about 75 square miles since it was started by lightning Aug. 16, but no structures have been lost.

In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a wildfire that has burned more than 28 square miles in Luce County was 95 percent contained Sunday, the state Department of Natural Resources said. The fire was believed to have started Aug. 2 by lightning.

In eastern Washington state, a wildfire that prompted authorities to evacuate the small town of Marlin was contained Sunday afternoon. Authorities said the fire, which broke out Friday afternoon, burned 3,500 acres. Residents were allowed to return home.

Elsewhere in Washington, however, crews fought a fire in Okanogan County that has burned about 7,700 acres and is only 30 percent contained. In the North Cascades, a fire that has been burning for nearly a month remains only 35 percent contained at 9,245 acres.