The out of control Line fire grew to 17,459 acres by Sunday morning, with zero containment and additional evacuation warnings issued as the number of threatened homes soared.
The total number of homes and structures at risk in the region jumped to 35,405, Cal Fire said in its Sunday morning update.
As of 9:45 a.m., evacuation warnings were announced for Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and Mountain Home Village.
“Outflow winds from thunderstorms are causing very erratic behavior and vegetation is critically dry,” Cal Fire said in its update. “The fire will start under smoky skies today, which will help moderate fire behaviour, but as the smoke clears during the afternoon, fire activity will pick up again. Smoke remains a challenge for aircraft, limiting access to parts of the fire.
Map: This is where the Line fire is burning near Highland
“Limited resources and logistical support have hampered fire control efforts,” Cal fire added. “Hot and dry conditions mixed with thunderstorms are expected to challenge firefighters over the next few days.”
On Saturday, the agency noted that the steep terrain and lack of access affected crews’ ability to access some areas of the fire.
The fire in the San Bernardino Mountains, including in the San Bernardino National Forest, closed Highway 330 between Highland and Running Springs. The fire jumped to the west side of the 330 about 5 miles above the Highland/San Bernardino area. Also Saturday night, Highway 18 was closed northbound from Kuffle Canyon to Running Springs, Caltrans said.
The threatened structures include single- and multi-family homes and commercial buildings, Cal Fire said.
The fire burned largely in grass up to 2 1/2 feet tall and chaparral up to 6 feet. It generated massive amounts of smoke that spread through the Inland area and parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties, prompting the South Coast Air Quality Management District to extend a smoke advisory.
The fire was so intense Saturday that it created its own clouds and associated lightning, the National Weather Service said.
This is a development story. Check back for updates.
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