Valley Fire chars 17,665 acres, 69% contained, evacuation orders lifted

JAPATUL VALLEY (CNS) - Firefighters battling the Valley Fire in rural eastern San Diego County worked to take advantage of lighter winds and higher humidity Saturday, Sept. 12 in an attempt to increase containment of the blaze.

The fire, southeast of Alpine, has burned 17,665 acres, destroyed 30 residences and 31 outbuildings, damaged 11 other structures, injured three firefighters and was 69% contained Saturday.

At noon Friday, Cal Fire announced that all evacuations and road closures necessitated by the conflagration, dubbed the Valley Fire, had been lifted.

On Saturday morning, the county a...