A wildfire that started on Tuesday afternoon north of the San Bernardino Mountains had exploded to 2,000 acres by nighttime, driven by high winds and low humidity, officials said. It had sparked evacuation orders and was threatening multiple properties, officials said.
The vegetation fire was threatening multiple buildings in and around Apple Valley, a town of about 75,000 people about 60 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Firefighters were battling to contain the blaze, which was zero percent contained on Tuesday night.
The San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department issued an evacuation order for an area about four miles wide on the edge of the town, warning of an extreme threat to life. A number of ranches appeared to be within the evacuation zone.
The fire broke out at about 2:30 p.m., according to Cal Fire, and its cause was under investigation.
“Fire behavior has intensified due to shifting weather conditions, including increasing winds and low humidity, contributing to rapid fire spread,” Cal Fire said in a statement.
The area was experiencing wind gust of about 22 miles per hour on Tuesday night, according to the Weather Service.
Yan Zhuang is a Times reporter in Seoul who covers breaking news.
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