A Southern California wildfire has surged in size and put thousands of homes in potential peril.
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The fire, which started Sunday between Silverwood Lake and Lake Arrowhead, is burning in two directions, said Capt. Liz Brown, a Cal Fire spokeswoman: north toward Hesperia, and northeast toward a mountain area known as the Pinnacles.
The Pilot Fire has spread almost 6,300 acres in San Bernardino County.
Evacuations were ordered for the Deer Lodge Park area, in addition to the evacuation of the entire area south of Ranchero Road from Santa Fe Avenue to Lake Arrowhead Road in Hesperia.
A strike team prepares to deploy along Highway 173 during a wildfire in Hesperia, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 8, 2016.
The Pilot Fire grew to 6,298 acres by Monday evening, with just 6 percent containment as the fast-moving blaze triggered evacuations and school closings in communities around the San Bernardino National Forest.
A massive plume of smoke could be seen blowing north toward the Mojave Desert.
Firefighters gather to execute a strategy to fight the Pilot Wildfire in San Bernardino County, Calif., on Monday. The wildfire is located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles burning on the northern side of the mountain range.
Helicopters sucked loads of water from nearby Silverwood Lake to douse flames leaping across slopes. Homes were protected by the use of fire retardant dropped from the air and gel applied by firefighters on the ground. As of Monday morning, the fire had been about 5.0 percent contained.
Smoke advisories issued by health officials for the Mojave Desert area were also still in effect.
The advisory includes young children, senior citizens and people with respiratory problems and cardiac disease, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
The blaze has burned 5,385 acres in an area of Yolo County above Highway 128, between Lake Berryessa and Pleasants Valley Road.
California’s biggest wildfire expanded overnight to more than 104 square miles north of scenic Big Sur.
There are now 400 firefighters assigned to the fire, including 36 engines, 8 crews, 5 dozers, 8 helicopters, 8 air tankers, including the VLAT.
U.S. Forest Service spokesman Robert Taylor says 20 miles per hour winds pushed a huge plume of smoke north toward the Mojave Desert.
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Some residents have been allowed to return to their homes, but some evacuation orders remained in place, while others were reduced to warnings.
