STEFANIE DAZIO and BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Crews fought Tuesday to drown, slash and smother wildfires that have incinerated dozens of homes in Northern and Southern California before returning windstorms can blow them back into furious life.
In California's wine country, firefighters worked to reinforce fire lines in western Sonoma County while rushing to shore up the eastern side that could be the new focus as winds switched direction.
"We're playing both offense and defense right now on two different sides of the fire," said Jonathan Cox of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Bulldozers carved firebreaks, hand crews attacked hot spots with hoses and shovels, and aircraft painted hillsides with fire retardant.
The fire that began la
