RESIDENTS RETURN TO BURNED HOMES AFTER DEVASTATING FIRES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, 2003-10-28 (photo)

Loretta Mortensen (L) and her husband Rick (C) comfort her father Don Danner, whose home was destroyed in Crest, California, October 28, 2003. Much of the neighborhood near San Diego was destroyed when a wildfire roared through the area on Sunday. The fires have killed 18 people, including two in Mexico, and destroyed more than 1,900 homes and outbuildings, state officials said. Firefighters battling California's deadly wildfires, among the most destructive in state history, turned optimistic on Tuesday as hot winds whipping the flames gave way to cooler conditions but officials warned that the situation was still fraught with danger. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith RG/GN