SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – A fast-moving brush fire in the hills of San Bernardino destroyed at least two homes and damaged several others as firefighters worked into Monday evening to try to contain the blaze.
The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District said they were alerted to the grass fire around 2:35 p.m. and arrived on scene within minutes.
Due to gusty winds, dry brush and temperatures well in excess of 100 degrees, the flames moved quickly, which caught homeowners off-guard.
Videos and photos showed residents grabbing belongings as structures became engulfed in flames.
At the latest report, at least 200 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, which was named the Edgehill Fire.
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As of Monday evening, at least 100 acres had been consumed as firefighters worked to contain the blaze with groundcrews.
Dozens of homes in the neighborhood about 60 miles east of Los Angeles were evacuated, and there were no reports of injuries.
Authorities did not state what they believed started the fire and said the cause was under investigation.
A local resident told local affiliate FOX 11 that she had just left work and saw her entire neighborhood in flames. She thanked first responders and those who worked to save properties in the community.
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According to CAL FIRE, nearly 780,000 acres have burned across the Golden State since the start of the year.
The figure is nearly four times higher than the typical year-to-date total of around 200,000 acres.
The Park Fire in Northern California is responsible for the majority of the acres burned in 2024.
The fire was started on July 24 by what authorities said was an arsonist and burned more than 400,00 acres within its first two weeks.
A break from a record-breaking heat wave has enabled firefighters to gain control of more than a third of the blaze, which is burning in rural lands outside of the Lassen National Forest.