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Crews make progress battling massive SoCal wildfire

Monday, August 12, 2013
Firefighters battle a wildfire on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013, in Cabazon, Calif.

Firefighters battle a wildfire on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013, in Cabazon, Calif. About 1,500 people have fled and three are injured as a wildfire in the Southern California mountains quickly spreads. Several small communities have evacuated.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Firefighters are making rapid progress in their battle to contain a huge Southern California wildfire.

Fire officials in Riverside County say the more than 30-square-mile blaze in the San Jacinto Mountains has stopped advancing and is now 95 percent contained. Officials say they expect to have it fully contained Monday.

The Silver Fire burned 26 homes and threatened more than 500 others.

The blaze injured 10 firefighters and seriously burned a mountain biker who was overrun by the fast-moving flames when the fire erupted Wednesday.

At its peak, the fire forced the evacuation of 1,800 people, including 800 campers. Evacuation orders for several communities remain in effect. Some campgrounds and trails are also closed.

(Copyright ©2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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