Progress being made toward taming Los Angeles wildfire

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Assisted by rising humidity and dipping temperatures, firefighters managed to slow the spread of a wildfire in northern Los Angeles, fire commanders said on Wednesday.

Los Angeles County firefighters spray water to put out hot spots after setting a tactical backfire during the Station fire in the Glendale area of Los Angeles, California September 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

The Station Fire has grown by another 13,000 acres (5,265 hectares) overnight, but its spread was being contained, said Capt. Mike Dietrich, the Station Fire incident commander.

As "excellent progress" was being made, the fire no longer posed an immediate threat to Mount Wilson , site of an historic observatory and radio and television transmission towers.

The fire, which broke out near a ranger station in the Angeles National Forest a week ago, has now churned through 140,150 acres (56,760 hectares), is now 22 percent contained, Dietrich told a press conference.

"Crews last night continued to work on all perimeters of the fire. The crews are making excellent progress, based on the improved weather conditions that we've experienced temporarily through the night," Dietrich said, referring to increased humidity, which was at the 50 percent level Tuesday night.