Evacuations Ordered as Wildfire Burns in Foothills East of LA National Forest

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Evacuations were mandated on Saturday as a significant wildfire raged through the foothills of a national forest situated east of Los Angeles, coinciding with a prolonged heat wave that pushed local temperatures into the triple digits.

The wildfire, known as the Line Fire, was burning uncontrollably along the perimeter of the San Bernardino National Forest, approximately 65 miles east of Los Angeles. By Saturday afternoon, it had scorched around 11 square miles of grassland and chaparral, generating a dense cloud of dark smoke that enveloped the surrounding areas.

The fire ignited on Thursday evening, and authorities are currently investigating its cause.

Roughly 500 firefighters are actively combating the blaze, utilizing water-dropping helicopters and aircraft that are continually circling neighborhoods and hills. Fire teams have indicated that the fire possesses the potential for significant growth in the forthcoming hours.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, and thankfully, there have been no damages to homes or other structures as a result of the fire’s outbreak.

Amid these events, the National Weather Service announced that downtown Los Angeles recorded a scorching high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) on Friday. This measurement marked the third instance since 1877 that the city has documented temperatures reaching or exceeding 112 degrees.