Kirstie Pfeifer (L) looks over the remains of her mother, Nancy Heinrichs' (R) home in Rancho Bernardo, Calfornia October 24, 2007. The Heinrichs home was destroyed by the raging Witch wildfire. California firefighters made headway in reining in 18 wildfires on Wednesday as hot winds abated and San Diego said it hoped to let some of the 500,000 evacuees start returning home. But despite the progress, nearly 9,000 firefighters were still waging a pitched battle on hillsides and in canyons while the skies over much of the region were choked with thick, acrid smoke, forcing residents to stay indoors or wear masks. REUTERS/Joshua Lott (UNITED STATES)
Reuters/JOSHUA LOTT