Laguna fire mostly contained

The Incident Commander of the Laguna Fire says that the target for full containment of the 751-acre blaze north of Yuma is now more likely to occur on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 than on Monday.

Firefighters are working now inside the fire’s perimeter where several hotspots of smoldering or creeping flames burn close to pockets of unburned vegetation. Sunday’s higher winds and unburned vegetation fueled interior flames. “While it looks like the fire it out, it is deceiving. There are many pockets of heat below the ground and unburned vegetation that could start a flare-up. This is the time when it takes slow and methodical work to cool down the interior and ensure that fire doesn’t jump our containment line,” says James Stewart, a Type III Incident Commander.