July 6 (Bloomberg) -- Cooler air moving in from the ocean may bring a respite from California's wildfires, which have scorched 558,738 acres (226,114 hectares) since June 20, the National Weather Service said. Record-breaking heat may follow for the rest of the week.

More than 300 fires are burning, less than a quarter of the conflagrations that plagued the state at the outbreak's peak, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Web site. One firefighter has died and at least three have been injured, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said at a news conference yesterday.

The fires threaten about 10,500 homes and more than 400 commercial properties. The National Weather Service in Oxnard, California, forecast continued moist air moving over Santa Barbara County today, and expects a high-pressure system for northern and central California beginning tomorrow that will result in hotter-than-normal temperatures most of the week.

``There are fires all year around,'' Schwarzenegger said. ``And what we see now means that we will need more resources.''

The state has declared emergencies in 11 counties, from Shasta and Trinity counties in the north to Santa Barbara County in the south.

Some Santa Barbara county residents were forced to evacuate July 4 as winds fanned the so-called Gap fire in the Los Padres National Forest, threatening residences in Goleta, a coastal city northwest of Santa Barbara, and surrounding areas.

Containment of Fire

The city of Santa Barbara is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) north of Los Angeles. The fire was 28 percent contained as of about 11 a.m. local time, according to the U.S. Forest Service Web site.

The Gap fire was made the state's highest priority because it was the biggest threat to life and property. It has consumed 9,367 acres since it started July 1, and more than 1,100 firefighters are combating the blaze.

The forecast for Santa Barbara county tonight calls for temperatures between 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) and 61 degrees, and average humidity of 50 percent to 70 percent in the foothills where the fires are burning, said meteorologist Steven Van Horn of the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

The other big fire in California is the so-called Basin Complex fire about 5 miles south of Big Sur. It has burned about 72,429 acres since starting June 21, according to the U.S. Forest Service's Incident Information System. That fire is 11 percent contained, up from 5 percent yesterday, the Forest Service said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dan Hart in Washington at dahart@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 6, 2008 14:24 EDT