A swiftly spreading wildfire in a California hillside community near San Bernardino caused several homes to burn down on Monday, leading to evacuations as hundreds of firefighters worked to contain the fire. The Edgehill fire originated in the 3300 block of Beverly Drive on Little Mountain at approximately 2:40 p.m., as reported by San Bernardino County fire officials. Initially, the fire, combated by over 200 firefighters, expanded to at least 100 acres (40 hectares). By 6 p.m., county authorities stated that the fire’s advance had been halted, and it was being maintained at 54 acres (22 hectares) with 25% contained, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department’s update on X, previously known as Twitter.
According to the fire department, “At this point the fire is very much under control.” Arson investigators were still working to uncover the cause of the fire on Monday evening. Although one person was briefly detained, they have since been released, as stated by the San Bernardino police department. Videos from the area captured by the Los Angeles Times depicted at least three homes being engulfed by flames, with residents evacuating their burning residences amid smoke-filled skies. In one social media video, a man was seen rushing up a hill while holding a large turkey, with flames burning behind him.
With temperatures in San Bernardino soaring to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) on Monday, the National Weather Service declared an excessive heat warning for the region until 11 p.m. Tuesday, anticipating temperatures to reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius). Evacuation directives were issued for all residents situated south of Ridge Line Drive and north of Edgehill Road, extending west to and including Beverly Drive, and east to Circle Road. At 9 p.m. on Monday, officials indicated that the evacuation orders would persist in effect. San Bernardino is located approximately 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
