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Dying winds were giving California firefighters their first big break on Wednesday (October 24) after four days battling wildfires, but San Diego faced more calamity as blazes there burned out of control and kept more than half a million evacuees from returning home. The skies over much of the region were filled with thick, acrid smoke, forcing residents to stay indoors or wear masks. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said 18 fires burned on Wednesday and threatened 25,000 structures. Nearly 1,500 homes had already been lost. San Diego bore the brunt of the damage and officials there put losses in excess of $1 billion. More than 500,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the biggest mass evacuation in California's modern history. Six deaths have been reported, while 40 people have suffered injuries, many of them firefighters. Two big fires merged in San Diego County, scorching more than 200,000 acres (80,000 hectares), almost half of the total burned area in California. Los Angeles County canceled its wind warnings four days after hot Santa Ana winds blew in from the desert and sparked the first fire in the seaside celebrity enclave of Malibu, where life had begun returning to normal by Wednesday. Mountain blazes east of Los Angeles were the worst, but firefighters said calmer wind conditions would make a big difference. Top wind speeds fell to below 50 mph (80 kph) after gale force gusts hit 80 mph (130 kph). Schwarzenegger said 8,900 firefighters r...