Firefighters battled a wind-whipped wildfire in the inland mountains of Southern California on Friday as unseasonably hot weather heightened fire danger in a region where little rain has fallen this winter.
The Bonita Fire erupted shortly after 1 a.m. and quickly grew to 715 acres. Fire crews stopped its progress, but it remained only 20% contained.
FIRST BLIZZARD OF THE SEASON HITS THE MIDWEST
The fire triggered evacuations in Mountain Center, a tiny community in the San Jacinto Mountains about 90 miles east of Los Angeles.
The blaze burned in heavy vegetation, including pine trees, Cal Fire/Riverside County said in a statement.
Temperatures in the region have reached summer-like highs in the 80s and low 90s, and Santa Ana winds bringing in extremely dry air are contributing to the threat of disastrous wildlifres..
INTENSE GUSTS FORCE WIND WARNINGS IN 8 STATES, CAUSE POWER OUTAGES…
