Some 82,000 residents in San Bernardino County, California, are under a mandatory evacuation order because of a fast-growing wildfire, a Cal Fire spokesman said.
The blaze started about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and by evening had spread to 9,000 acres. Fire authorities warned of “imminent threat to public safety” as 0% of the fire had been contained as of 7 p.m. local time.
The massive fire, which is being called Bluecut, prompted Gov. Jerry Brown to declared a state of emergency in the area.
An estimated 34,500 homes are affected by the evacuation warnings which affect Cajon Pass, Lytle Creek, Wrightwood, Oak Hills and surrounding areas. Seven hundred firefighters have been sent to the area.
The fire began in Cajon Pass, a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains. The area is about 70 miles east of Los Angeles and less than 30 miles north of the city of San Bernardino.
Drought-stricken California has been hit with waves of wildfires this summer, fueled by dry conditions, heat and dead brush.
Developing story – more to come