The Station fire, which has burned nearly 145,000 acres north of Los Angeles, was caused by arson, U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Rita Wears said Thursday.
A wildfire burns close to blackened hills in the Angeles National Forest outside Los Angeles on Wednesday.

A wildfire burns close to blackened hills in the Angeles National Forest outside Los Angeles on Wednesday.
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The investigation is now being treated as a homicide because of the deaths of two firefighters, Wears said.

Firefighters are close to containing half the fire, officials said. They are not quite at the 50 percent mark but are making progress, particularly on the west side of the fire, officials said.

The fire is still producing hot spots, including one on the southwest front. There, at least 15 families were awakened around 4 a.m. and given three hours to leave their homes in the Dillon Divide community.

The Station fire, which has been raging more than a week, has displaced thousands of anxious Southern Californians. It had burned 140,150 acres by Wednesday.

The fire has destroyed 62 homes, three commercial properties and 27 other buildings since it began August 26, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Joseph Carlton said Wednesday.

The state of California has spent about $21 million so far fighting the fire in the Angeles National Forest, according to Mike Dietrich, the Forest Service's incident commander