HESPERIA FIRE - Las Flores Incident

Wildfire in California forces mandatory evacuations of 200 homes

CA-BDC/HSP/BDU-Las Flores Incident
POSTED: 2:00 pm PDT April 1, 2007


Fire crews from San Diego County are helping battle the Hesperia Fire in San Bernardino County,
The San Diego County firefighters will stay until the fire is fully contained..

CDF sent out four engines and four 16-member hand crews to fight the blaze, which so far has burned 2,000 acres.

Authorities in this high desert city east of Los Angeles ordered mandatory evacuations Saturday while the fire grew in the early evening. By 10 p.m., evacuation orders for all but about 30 houses were lifted and families were allowed to return

The blaze started at 10:40 a.m. Saturday near Hesperia, located 80 miles northeast of Los Angeles and prompted the evacuation of 230 homes, according to local media reports.

Although no injuries have been reported, the fire did damage the roof of one home. It is now 50 percent contained, according to local media reports.

The fire burned a shed and the roof of a house as about 400 firefighters and a pair of water-dropping helicopters worked to keep other homes and out buildings from being consumed, said San Bernardino County Fire spokeswoman Angie Samayoa.

The blaze burned out of control for much of the day, but firefighters began gaining the upper hand after nightfall. The fire was 5 percent contained, and full containment was predicted by Sunday night, Samayoa said.

"I think the combination of the firefighters and the favorable weather conditions helped us," Samayoa said. "The winds laid down, and temperature laid down."

Samayoa said evacuations were in a "fairly well-populated area" and in many cases flames were within feet of some houses.


Authorities are investigating what started the fire."

Related link: San Diego Fire Dept. Helping In Hesperia Fire