Firefighters took advantage of cool weather and calm winds to tighten their grip on wildfires in California as the prospect of a forecast heatwave loomed over the region on Tuesday.
A total of 330 fires remained active, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection figures on Tuesday, with more than 614,000 acres (248,500 hectares) scorched since the firestorm erupted on June 20.
More than 20,000 personnel are deployed across the state, with fires near Santa Barbara, 103 miles (165 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, and Big Sur, 120 miles (193 kilometers) south of San Francisco, commanding most attention.
With a lull in temperatures and winds, firefighters have been able to make significant inroads into the two fires that have ripped through tinder-dry brush and chapparal in the Los Padres National Forest.
The Gap fire, near Santa Barbara, which has burnt 9,710 acres since July 1 and forced the evacuation of more than 1,700 homes at one stage, was now 50 percent contained. Only 300 homes remained under evacuation orders on Tuesday.
The fire near Big Sur, which was at 80,186 acres, was now 18 percent contained. Official updates cautioned however that the potential for growth in both fires remained high if winds and temperatures rise.
On Monday around 36,000 homes in the region were left in darkness after fires knocked out power lines.
A heatwave is expected to arrive in the fire-stricken region on Wednesday, bringing temperatures of around 90-98 Fahrenheit (32-37 Celsius)
In Los Angeles County meanwhile, National Weather Service forecasters have issued an excessive heat warning for Tuesday over mountainous regions.
The warning means that a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures will occur.
