Hot, Difficult Days Ahead For Firefighters Battling Sand Fire

The destructive Sand Fire continued to burn Tuesday across more than 37,000 acres in Santa Clarita.

The blaze remains at 25 percent containment as of Tuesday evening.

Acting California Gov. Tom Torlakson also declared a state of emergency in LA County Tuesday in response to the fire.

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Firefighters saved about 2,000 homes in the fire’s first three days, Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief John Tripp said.

At the fire’s peak, about 10 percent of Santa Clarita’s 200,000 residents had been ordered out of their homes, before most were allowed to return Monday night.

The fire exploded over the weekend like a “crazy storm,” said Kara Franklin, who said sand driven by heavy winds hit her in the face as she tried to get a horse and donkey into a trailer so she could tow the animals away. From a ridgetop, she saw flames engulf a neighborhood