国际英语新闻：Wildfire burning deep in Angeles National Forest

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Although its western edge under control, the wildfire in Northern Los Angeles was burning deep in the Angeles National Forest on Saturday, fire commanders said.

    As it was moving eastward into wilderness, the arson-caused fire has grown to be the biggest in the Los Angeles County history, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) said.

    Since its ignition on Aug. 26, the Station fire has destroyed 76 homes, mostly cabins; denuded some 241 square miles (about 386 square kilometers) of forest land; led to the deaths of two firefighters and cost 37 million dollars to fight so far.

    The USFS listed 7,000 homes as still being in harm's way.

    The risk to homes was significantly reduced as hand crews held the fire line to the north, south and west, said USFS spokeswoman Michelle Caldwell.

    A massive airborne firefighting effort helped save Mount Wilson, a site for a historic observatory and a number of TV and broadcasting transmitting stations, the USFS said.

    Thanks to painstaking efforts by more than 5,000 firefighters, more than 40 percent of the fire has been contained, and defensible fire lines have been set up to surround the fire, according to the USFS, which was leading the effort.

    The fire was projected to be fully contained on Sept. 15.

    The heat wave that has been baking the region with more than 100 degree Fahreinheit was starting to break down Saturday, and forecasters predict favorable conditions for hand crews working to hem in the fire.

    Rising humidity around 70 percent would also help firefighters.

    Meanwhile, investigators were working to find the arsonist responsible for the huge wildfire.

    California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger offered a 100,000-dollar reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprit.

    Investigators have said an accelerant was found near the point of origin, prompting prosecutors to seek homicide charges against the culprit.