After it was first reported about noon Sunday, the Pilot fire spread quickly in dry brush and timber.
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Firefighters are battling a wildfire in Southern California that grew to more than 2 square miles in mere hours and forced the evacuation of homes near a reservoir.
The fire started Sunday afternoon and had destroyed almost 5,000 acres by Monday afternoon, authorities said.
An army of more than 5,000 firefighters and an air force of tankers and helicopters made progress, however, surrounding 50 percent of the almost three-week old fire.
The San Bernardino County Fire impacts 4700 homes and causes 10,000 to evacuate Here two San Bernardino County employees survey the fire.
Smoke from a growing wildfire in the mountains of Southern California is casting a hazy pall in Las Vegas, more than 200 miles away. Highway 173 was closed between State Route-138 and Arrowhead Lake Road. The latest evacuation information is available from the Twitter feeds of the San Bernardino County Sheriff and the San Bernardino National Forest.
Mandatory evacuations have been called for at least 25 homes because of the 7-square-mile blaze in the San Bernardino National Forest.
The Cold Fire in Yolo County is now 90 percent contained and has burned 5,731 acres.
Firefighters said the state could be facing one of its worst fire seasons on record.
A forest fire in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains has grown to almost 11 square miles.
An army of more than 5,000 firefighters and an air force of tankers and helicopters made progress, however, surrounding 45 percent of the 18-day-old blaze.
Evacuations were ordered for the Summit Vallet area east of Cedar Springs Dam and remains in effect Monday morning.
Meanwhile, to the north, the Soberanes fire in Monterey County has scorched 60,900 acres and is 50% contained.
Firefighters are reinforcing containment lines against the Lake Berryessa fire, which has been burning since Tuesday.
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The South Coast Air Quality Management District also issued a smoke advisory for residents in the central San Bernardino Mountains.
