A wildfire in the hills east of San Bernardino, California, was spreading quickly early Sunday, threatening thousands of buildings, and prompting evacuation orders and local and state emergency declarations.
The fire had burned some 17,237 acres by early Sunday and was threatening about 8,700 structures, including single and multi-family homes, San Bernardino County officials said.
Those officials had on Saturday issued an evacuation order and declared a local emergency, after the blaze grew to over 7,000 acres.
“Extreme temperatures, wind and lightning strikes have allowed the fire to grow rapidly since it began early Thursday night,” a 6 p.m. county update said.
The fire was still 0% contained as of early Sunday, roughly two days after the fire started, according to Cal Fire.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the county on Saturday, saying in a statement that California had secured a Federal Emergency Management Agency to help suppress the fire.
“I thank President Biden for his swift approval of support for the work of our firefighters and first responders battling this fire and protecting local communities,” Newsom said. “It’s critical that residents in the impacted areas remain vigilant and prepare to evacuate immediately if called for by local authorities.”
An evacuation order, which was issued due to “an immediate threat to life,” affected the area from Calle Del Rio to Highway 38, including Greenspot Road north, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
