
Weather conditions were forecasted to improve this week in Southern California, aiding firefighters in their battle against a wind-driven wildfire that's forced up to 20,000 people — including performers Cher, Dick Van Dyke and his wife — from their homes.
Residents under evacuation orders and warnings on Tuesday waited anxiously to see whether their properties had been spared by the so-called Franklin Fire, which erupted late Monday and grew to more than 2,800 acres (1,133 hectares) in under 24 hours.