Cool, damp weather moved into Southern California from the Pacific Ocean on Friday boosting efforts to beat down stubborn wildfires, while weary families returned to find many homes unscathed but hundreds of others burned to rubble.
After six days of relentless blazes from Los Angeles to the Mexican border, most of the raging fires had either been doused or brought under relative control as the emergency turned to the long business of recovery.
At the height of the fires, some 500,000 people were evacuated from their homes. But on Friday, the few hundred remaining in the largest emergency shelter - San Diego's Qualcomm sports stadium - were being moved to several smaller centres. The stadium, which at one time had housed and fed more than 10,000 people, was due to close Friday.
Favourable weather should help fire-fighters struggling with two major fires in San Diego County and Orange County, although the flames were generally moving away from populated areas and into forests.
"Today will be the best day of the week for firefighters," National Weather Service forecaster Andrew Rorke said. As of Friday morning, the wildfires had blackened some 800 square miles (2,072 sq km) of Southern California and destroyed 2,000 homes and other structures. Losses were expected to top $1 billion in hard-hit San Diego County alone.
RANDOM BLAZES AND RECOVERY: The destruction was random, with some trees half burned and others half green. In some neighbourhoods, the burned remnants of homes sat next to pristine ranch houses. Steve Conner, 62, whose suburban San Diego home was one of 30 reduced to ruins on his block, described the moment he confronted the loss of his house and neighbourhood.
"Emotionally, it was just beyond belief," the Vietnam War infantry veteran said, his voice shaking. "It's just totally wiped out. All the trees are black ... It just reminded me of Vietnam. It just reminded me of a war zone."
In parts of San Diego County, residents were told to drink only bottled water because of damage to water pipes. As families began returning, the chances rose for more grisly discoveries. Fire officials said more bodies could be found in remote areas where people had refused to leave their homes, or who were overrun by the speed of the inferno.
Four burned bodies found in the path of the wildfires on Thursday raised the death toll, either directly from the flames or while evacuating, to at least 12 people. The four were thought to be illegal immigrants overrun by fire near the Mexican border as they walked through rugged terrain. As officials began the massive clean-up and recovery operation, a risk firm said insured losses would likely be $900 million to $1.6 billion.
In most cases, hot, dry winds brought down power lines onto brush parched by a record drought, and erratic gusts sent embers flying, setting off new fires. At least one blaze is being treated as arson and a $250,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
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