Apr 28, 2008 7:23 pm US/Mountain
Colo. Couple's Wedding Caught In Calif. Wildfire
SIERRA MADRE, Calif. (AP/CBS4) ―
Crews overcame a threatening flare-up during the night and worked Monday to halt a wildfire northeast of Los Angeles that has sent 1,000 people fleeing their homes.
Water-dropping aircraft were back in the air Monday to complement ground crews as more than 580 firefighters attacked the blaze above homes in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Calmer wind and rising humidity were expected to help, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Ed Gililland.
The blaze had charred 490 acres Monday, authorities said. Containment had fallen from 30 percent to 23 percent because the burst of wind during the night pushed flames past some containment lines and within yards of several houses. Firefighters watered down embers that drifted onto a few roofs.
The blaze stranded 50 wedding party guests for a Colorado couple at a ranger station from Saturday until they were airlifted out by helicopter Sunday afternoon, Weaver said.
Julie Sokolowski and Ken Grady of Steamboat Springs, along with the guests, hiked 4 miles to the ranger station. Sokolowski said they had no idea a wildfire was raging not far away.
"We started to smell it after the ceremony, but we weren't too concerned," Sokolowski said.
Emergency crews contacted the group and told them it was okay to spend the night, but then things changed. Sunday morning rescue crews delivered the bad news to the newlyweds that they had to evacuate.
"Everyone thought it was cool at first and everybody I think had some nervous energy," a guest said. "It was an adventure."
It took five trips to airlift the whole wedding party out, but in the end no one was hurt and the couple has quite a story to tell.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
