Firefighters make progress against blaze that forced thousands to flee north of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Firefighters in a mountainous area north of Los Angeles made good progress in their battle against a that has forced thousands of people to evacuate, officials said Friday.

The Canyon Fire and spread rapidly in the dry, steep terrain in Ventura and Los Angeles counties to more than 8 square miles (22 square kilometers). It was 25% contained as of Friday afternoon, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. At least 400 personnel battled the blaze along with several planes and helicopters, county fire department public information officer Andrew Dowd said.