In the 2008 California wildfires what did firefighters do to stop the fire from spreading?

By using terrain, roadways, and man-made fire breaks, fire crews eventually stopped the advance of the 2008 California wildfires. But not before they chewed through thousands of acres and hundreds of homes. Weather and fuel loads conspired to create the potential for these disasters, and the construction of housing in "at risk" areas coupled with a failure to properly manage approach vegetation put structures in harm's way.