<p>The wildfires ravaging California from north of Los Angeles to the Mexican border marked a grim first yesterday with the death of a firefighter battling the blaze in San Diego County. He was the first worker to die fighting the fires, which cover an area the size of Rhode Island. At least 18 Californians have died since the fires began a week ago. Some 2,000 homes have been incinerated -- including, yesterday, the entire mountain village of Cuyamaca.</p>