Wildfires Scorch Western U.S.

Firefighters have gotten a handle on a large wind-driven wildfire southwest of Salt Lake City. So far it has consumed more than 7,000 acres.

Officials in Utah say the fire is now contained and is expected to be controlled by Thursday evening. But they're watching for flare-ups due to rising temperatures and the threat of lightning.

Meantime, crews continue battling a 77,000-acre blaze along the Colorado-Utah border. It's actually two fires that were pushed together by hot winds.

And in Southern California, a 1,000-acre fire is burning in the San Bernardino National Forest about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. It's whipping through a sparsely populated area, but has destroyed some rural sheds, trailers and vehicles. CBS News Correspondent Vince Gonzales reports.

The red-hot fire cut a path of flame and smoke, as crews on the ground and in the air fought the blaze. Aerial tankers dropping fire retardant drew a thin red line in the dense, dry brush, hoping to keep the flames at bay. But wind-driven sparks jumped firebreaks and roads.

About 300 firefighters took a stand between the fire and nearby homes. Dozens of families fled as the flames closed in. In the rush, someone forgot a small kitten that got its whiskers singed before firefighters saved it.

Parked on a nearby rail line, a train hauling lumber and tanker cars caught fire briefly before being moved out of the area. Thick brush fed the fire.

Officials had planned controlled burns later this summer, but Mother Nature beat them to it.