LOS ANGELES, Sept 15, (AP): Thousands of firefighters aided by cooler weather made progress Saturday against three Southern California wildfires, and officials in northern Nevada were hopeful that almost all evacuees from a blaze there could soon be home. Authorities have started scaling back evacuations at the largest blaze.

The Bridge Fire east of Los Angeles has burned 81 square miles (210 square kilometers), torched at least 33 homes and six cabins and forced the evacuation of 10,000 people. Two firefighters have been injured in the blaze, state fire officials said. Operations section chief Don Freguila said Saturday that containment was estimated at 3% and improving, with nearly 2,500 firefighters working the lines.

He said Saturday's focus would be on the fire's west flank and northern edge near Wrightwood, where airtankers dropped retardant on the flames in steep, rugged areas inaccessible to ground crews. "A lot of good work. We're really beating this up and starting to make some good progress,” Freguila said. He said a new spot fire broke out Friday night near the Mount Baldy ski area along the blaze's southern edge, burning only about an acre before crews "buttoned it up."

The Southern California have threatened tens of thousands of homes and other structures since they escalated during a triple-digit heat wave. The blaze in Nevada near Lake Tahoe broke out last weekend, destroying 14 homes and burning through nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) of timber and brush along the Sierra Nevada’s eastern slope.

Some 20,000 people were forced from their homes early this week. Fire officials said there was a 90% chance the last of the evacuees would be able to return to their homes by the end of Saturday. Containment of the blaze was estimated at 76% Saturday, fire spokeswoman Celeste Prescott said. Some of the 700 crew members should soon be sent off to other fires, she added.