Crews slowed forward progress of a fire burning in the Holy Jim Canyon area of the Cleveland National Forest Wednesday afternoon.
The blaze, dubbed the Jim Fire, was reported in the Holy Jim trail area about 11:15 a.m., according to the Cleveland National Forest. It had burned at least 400 acres by 2 p.m. and 500 acres by 7 p.m. It remains 0% contained.
About 100 personnel from the forest and the the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the blaze, officials said. Other fire agencies, including the Los Angeles County Fire Department, also sent personnel to help battle flames.
Retardant drops were being made on active flames, which were moving quickly uphill, aerial video from Sky5 showed.
OCFA officials tweeted that the blaze is not a threat to the county, but indicated that smoke could be seen throughout the region.
Several other Southern California fire agencies alerted residents that smoke seen in their area was due to the Jim Fire. The forest spans three counties: Orange, Riverside and San Diego.
At 3:40 p.m., forest officials indicated forward progress of the fire had slowed, “as the fire laid down.”
Grass and chaparral was burning in the fire, according to the United States Forest Service incident information page.
The blaze is burning in the same general area as the 2018 Holy Fire, which scorched more than 23,000 acres and destroyed 24 structures.
A prescribed burn off Long Canyon Road in the forest was canceled after the Jim Fire was reported.
