POSTED: 9:07 a.m. PST October 26, 2003
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Wildfires that have burned for days merged into walls of flame stretching across miles in parts of Southern California on Sunday, leaving 13 people dead, burning 850 homes, frustrating overmatched firefighters who worked relentlessly against fierce winds, and prompting one ariline to cancel all flights into the Southern California region Sunday night.
By Sunday night, the fires had blackened 277,000 acres.
The state's largest fire, in eastern San Diego County, caused at least nine deaths, including two who died inside their car as they apparently tried to escape the flames, San Diego Sheriff Bill Kolender said.