Morning brings wind, clouds

Fifty-three fire crews scrambled to reinforce existing containment lines and doused hot spots on the fire's interior including trees left standing.
Nearly 2,000 firefighters battled the blaze, but more were expected to be sent home today.
Drizzle fell and fog crept through the San Bernardino Mountains, prompting fire officials to urge crews to drive as slow as 10 mph through the area. A thick cover of clouds settled over the blaze.
"That's making air operations difficult, but that's not off the table," Jones said. "We're waiting to see what happens with the weather."
Firefighters working steep hillsides also took precautions to prevent falling on the rocks left slippery from the rain.
But for the first time in nearly a week, there was good news for Fawnskin. The mandatory evacuation was lifted Wednesday evening and the town was expected to be open to the public by 6 tonight, Jones said.
Winds expected to gust up to 35 mph on the ridgetops could create some problems on the northern end of the fire, but the wind was estimated to be about 4 to 15 mph everywhere else. Other than a few hot spots firefighters kept a close eye on, most of the blaze was smoldering this morning, Jones said.
"Hopefully this precipitation will help crews make progress," he said.
Meanwhile, San Bernardino County fire officials planned to visit Fawnskin residents this morning to prepare them for potential flooding from the storm. Informational fliers on what residents can do in case of flooding will be distributed beginning at 10 a.m., said Megan Blaney, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Office of Emergency Services.