Wildfires

Wildfires USA

California

The fast-growing wildfire in the mountains of Southern California forced the evacuation on Wednesday of the popular resort community of Idyllwild after flames engulfed seven homes and numerous other buildings.

By late Wednesday, the fire had charred more than 19,000 acres (7,700 hectares) of drought-parched chaparral and timber, much of it in steep, remote wilderness terrain inside the San Bernardino National Forest. That was more than double the acreage reported burned a day earlier by the so-called Mountain Fire.

With nearly 3,000 firefighters, 17 water-dropping helicopters and 10 air tankers assigned to it, the blaze ranked as one of the most severe of some 16 large, wildfires that crews were battling to contain in several western states. As of Wednesday evening, firefighters had managed to carve containment lines around 15 percent of its perimeter.

Roughly 100 homes in a handful of small communities near Idyllwild and Palm Springs were ordered evacuated during the first two days of the blaze and early on Wednesday. Evacuation orders were expanded Wednesday evening to Idyllwild itself, along with part of the adjacent, smaller community of Fern Valley and all parks and campgrounds in the vicinity.

No injuries have been reported, but authorities say seven residences, including three mobile homes, have been destroyed, along with one commercial structure, more than a dozen outbuildings and several vehicles.