A recreational drone temporarily halted air drops Sunday in an area of southwest San Bernardino County where firefighters were battling a brush fire, officials said.
The Mill 2 Fire broke out about 2:30 p.m. and burned 35 acres within 90 minutes near the intersection of Highway 38 and Bryant Street (map), east of Mentone and north of Yucaipa, according to the U.S. Forest Service. No injuries were immediately reported.
Homes in Yucaipa and a Southern California Edison plant in Highland were threatened, said Carol Underhill, a spokeswoman for the agency.
Four residences were evacuated on the west end of Yucaipa Ridge, an update on the multi-agency website InciWeb stated.
The fire was 10 percent contained Sunday evening and Underhill said its “forward progress” had slowed.
Firefighters at the scene were supported by 17 engines, five helicopters, two bulldozers and two fixed-wing air tankers, the statement said.
Tanker operations resumed after being temporarily halted by a recreational drone in the area, the Forest Service said.
Highway 38 was reopened following an hourslong shutdown between Bryant Street and Lake Williams due to the Mill 2 Fire.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
The nearby Motorcycle Fire burned 1/4 of an acre about 2 miles south of Angeles Oaks before it was extinguished, the Forest Service said.
That fire began about 2:30 p.m. when a motorcycle driver veered off the side of a road and crashed, officials said. The driver was not seriously injured.