Improved weather conditions allowed firefighters to increase containment on the blaze raging northwest of Los Angeles and keep it from growing over the weekend, but residents from about 1,000 evacuated homes still had to stay away.

Ventura County public safety officials said they prepared for dry, warm and gusty northeast Santa Ana winds. But the fire that broke out Wednesday morning exploded in size with winds gusting at 80 mph (about 130 kph) and embers that flew from orchards 2-1/2 miles (4 kilometers) away to residential neighborhoods around the community of Camarillo.

After the Mountain fire ballooned to more than 20,000 acres in less than 24 hours, improving weather conditions helped crews contain more of the blaze on Saturday.