A wildfire continued to rage into its fourth day Thursday, covering more than 35 square miles of California's scenic San Jacinto Mountains and prompting more evacuations.
The Mountain Fire, burning roughly 100 miles southeast of Los Angeles, scorched 22,800 acres and destroyed 23 structures, including seven homes. Some 6,000 people have been ordered evacuated.
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"It's grown into a monster that we haven't seen before," said San Jacinto Valley resident Ralph Savory, who was packed up and ready to go if deputies ordered him to evacuate. "We're waiting for the word. Got our cars packed. All we got left is us and our dogs."
The nearby town of Idyllwild looked like a ghost town after it was evacuated Wednesday night.
Many like Barb Lundquist chose to sleep in their cars.
"I didn't think it was going to happen,” she said. “I didn't think they were going to evacuate us."
All she could think about was whether she would lose her Idyllwild home she's lived in for three decades.
"I'm exhausted,” she said. “I don't even know what time it is."
Officials continued to call for mandatory evacuations of nearby communities as firefighters reported the blaze was 15 percent contained. Nearly 3,000 firefighters were working on the Mountain Fire, according to a Thursday morning report from fire officials.
The fight against the fire had cost about $5.5 million by Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Crews trying to flank the fire had to watch out for burning debris crashing down the steep, timbered ridges in the San Jacinto Mountains, said Norma Bailey, a Forest Service spokeswoman.
"It burned actively through the night," Bailey told The Associated Press. "They're being careful of things that are rolling down the hillside."
Evacuation orders remained in effect for the mountain resort town of Idyllwild and Fern Valley, including nearby San Bernardino National Forest areas and Mount San Jacinto State Park. Details were posted online.
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which takes visitors nearly 6,000 feet up steep Chino Canyon, was also closed Thursday.
Crews from many agencies were working on the fire, and a news release from a U.S. Forest Service spokesman said firefighters' focus was on protecting homes in Idyllwild and elsewhere.
"White, red and green fire engines and crew trucks can be seen throughout the town. The fire is color blind," wrote Forest Service spokesman John Miller.
The Mountain Fire broke out Monday afternoon in steep, rugged terrain on private property just off State Highway 243 in the community of Mountain Center, south of Idyllwild (map).
Evacuation centers were set up at the following locations:
- Hemet High School, 41701 E. Stetson Ave., Hemet;
- Hamilton High School, 57430 Mitchell Road, Anza;
- Small animals can be brought to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave.
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Photo Credit: Joel Cook/NBCLA.com