California firefighters work to contain large forest fire

BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) — California’s weather began cooling Monday after a lengthy heat wave but firefighters still faced the difficult task of trying to contain a large forest fire in rugged coastal mountains south of Big Sur.

The Willow Fire covered 3.7 square miles (9.6 square kilometers) of Los Padres National Forest as of late Sunday night, the U.S. Forest Service said. More than 450 firefighters were on the lines, aided by planes and helicopters.

The fire broke out Thursday evening in the Ventana Wilderness and burned near the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, a Buddhist monastery located in...