Wildfire worsens outside L.A.

? A fire raging in wilderness above Los Angeles’ eastern foothills ballooned to 30,000 acres and threatened hundreds of homes Wednesday as it marched across the San Gabriel Mountains.

The blaze was about two miles from Mount Baldy Village, a small community 4,000 feet up its namesake mountain, and several miles from 700 suburban foothill homes, Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said.

The fire has incinerated 71 cabins and other buildings within Angeles National Forest since Sunday, but lack of strong wind was helping firefighters keep it out of the suburban sprawl abutting wildlands 30 to 45 miles east of Los Angeles.

Containment was estimated at just 10 percent as flames moved both east and west along a 15-mile-long line. About 2,700 firefighters worked the lines as 35 helicopters and airplanes attacked the flames from the air. Five minor injuries were reported.

Highs were in the 90s Wednesday, but cooler temperatures and higher humidity were expected in the next few days.

The fire was the larger of two serious wildland blazes in California. The other, a 2,529-acre fire in Santa Clara County west of Morgan Hill, was 25 percent contained after destroying 30 structures, including at least 11 homes since Monday. Six people suffered minor injuries in that blaze.