500-acre fire in Calif. forces 1,500 evacuations
HESPERIA, Calif. (AP) -September 2, 2011
The fire began at around 1 p.m. on the center divider of
Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass. It quickly grew to more than 500
acres in two hours, jumping the freeway and burning chaparral in
rolling hills that form the nearby San Bernardino National Forest
and unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County, U.S. Forest
Service spokesman John Miller said.
An evacuation was ordered as the fire moved northwest toward
large ranch homes in the Oak Hills area. Fire crews were placed to
defend the houses as the flames came within yards of some of them.
"There's million-dollar homes up there," said Victorville resident
Tom Woods.
The Oak Hills area contains hundreds of recently built luxury
horse properties spread over the hills, Woods said.
Woods said he could see a huge plume of smoke from his home 10
miles away.
The fire initially closed all freeway lanes, snarling traffic as
drivers struggled to start their Labor Day weekend getaways.
Northbound lanes were reopened with escort by the California
Highway Patrol as the fire burned away from traffic lanes.
Television news reports showed plumes of white smoke and a long
line of fire running over scrub-dotted ridges.
Miller said a firefighter was hurt, but he didn't know the
extent of the injury. One motorist suffered smoke inhalation.
About a dozen aircraft, including a DC-10 jumbo jet tanker, were
called in to help fight the flames.
