Firefighters mop up after halting pair of blazes
Firefighters on Monday were mopping up a pair of wildfires in Southern California that briefly threatened homes in La Verne and Lucerne Valley, authorities said.
Crews on Sunday afternoon stopped forward progress on the Rodeo fire in La Verne, which raced across 50 acres after starting near the 210 Freeway and Fruit Street, Los Angeles County fire officials said.
The blaze had burned uphill toward residential neighborhoods, but hundreds of firefighters swarmed the area and kept the flames at bay, authorities said. The fire was 70% contained by Monday evening and had stopped expanding, said Inspector Gustavo Medina.
Voluntary evacuations in the Live Oak Canyon and Webb Canyon areas were lifted.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
The second blaze to begin Sunday, the High fire in Lucerne Valley, also stopped expanding, said the CaliforThe nia Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The blaze has burned across 100 acres and was 45% contained Monday morning, Cal Fire tweeted.
The fire erupted about 20 miles southeast of Victorville and prompted mandatory evacuations for several hours Sunday.
blaze was reported just before 4 p.m. off High Road near Highway 18 in Lucerne Valley, Cal Fire spokeswoman Debbie Chapman said.
In 2½ hours, it exploded from five acres to about 100, burning toward homes scattered in the desert. Ultimately, 170 acres burned, officials said. Roughly 200 firefighters responded to the blaze.
The fire’s forward progress was reported stopped and it was 70% contained Monday evening, Cal Fire tweeted.
In Mariposa County, meanwhile, Cal Fire continued to increase its defensive lines around the massive Detwiler fire burning outside Yosemite National Park.
The blaze has scorched 78,900 acres and was 60% contained Monday evening, Cal Fire said.
The Detwiler fire began just before 4 p.m. July 16 off Detwiler and Hunters Valley roads two miles east of Lake McClure.
The wildfire, which produced plumes of smoke that spread as far as Idaho, destroyed 120 structures, including 60 homes, officials said.
For four days, workers and families in Mariposa — a historic gold-mining town — were forced to evacuate.
Many residents were allowed to return to their communities Friday, while more evacuation orders were lifted Saturday evening, officials said. The fire is burning about 20 miles west of Yosemite.
Cal Fire spokesman Brandon Vaccaro said he expects full containment of the fire in about two weeks.