Blue Cut Fire

Firefighters were gaining ground today against a wildfire burning in a Southern California mountain pass that has forced some 80,000 residents to flee their homes and has consumed dozens of structures.

The main highway linking Southern California to Las Vegas reopened on Thursday as firefighters gained ground on a fast-moving wildfire that raged for a third day in mountains east of Los Angeles.

Firefighters were gaining ground today against a wildfire burning in a Southern California mountain pass that has forced some 80,000 residents to flee their homes and has consumed dozens of structures.

The main highway linking Southern California to Las Vegas reopened on Thursday as firefighters gained ground on a fast-moving wildfire that raged for a third day in mountains east of Los Angeles.