The Highland Fire, which ignited Monday in Riverside County, is now 15% contained, fire officials said on Wednesday.
The blaze, which has reached nearly 2,500 acres in size, is expected to be fully contained by Nov. 8, Cal Fire said in an update.
Despite some progress Tuesday night on the blaze near Aguanga, “extremely steep and rugged terrain remains a challenge,” as do the Santa Ana winds and low humidity, the release said.
“The fire behavior overnight was minimal, with some minor creeping and smoldering observed,” Cal Fire said. “Easterly winds are forecast to continue in the area through Thursday evening, which have the potential to push the fire in a west/southwest direction. Firefighters will continue constructing handline around the perimeter.”
Multiple evacuation orders and warnings remain in place. To see where, visit this interactive map.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.