Firefighters battling the Bouquet Fire near Santa Clarita, just north of Los Angeles, have raised containment to 71 percent, and most evacuation orders tied to the blaze have now been lifted. The fire has burned 1,048 acres of the Angeles National Forest since igniting Saturday afternoon.
Crews spent Wednesday reinforcing containment lines and mopping up hotspots along the fire's perimeter. Bouquet Canyon Road remains closed to traffic as fire apparatus continues working in the area, and officials urged residents returning home to stay alert for changing conditions.
Smoke from the blaze triggered an unhealthy air advisory for the Interstate 5 corridor and the Santa Clarita Valley earlier this week, a reminder of how even moderate wildfires can affect air quality across densely populated parts of Southern California.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. It is the latest in a punishing fire year for the region, and officials say October's dry, windy conditions mean Southern California remains firmly in wildfire season even as containment numbers improve.
