Hundreds Return To Eastern Sierra Towns Charred By Wildfire

SWALL MEADOWS (CBS SF) -- More than 200 people from two communities ravaged by a wildfire in the Eastern Sierra are now being allowed back in.

That includes the owners of 40 homes that were destroyed, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Capt. Liz Brown.

The wildfire started Friday afternoon fueled by winds between 50 and 75 miles an hour. The flames have scoured 11 square miles in Swall Meadows and Paradise.

The fire is now 95 percent contained with full containment expected later Tuesday, but others may soon follow.

"The threat (of a wildfire) is there all year round," Brown said. "There are just peak periods when it's a little more dry and dangerous."

The cause of the fire is under investigation but dry vegetation from three years of drought was likely a factor.

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• Fire
• Wildfires
• Drought