Firefighters have made some progress to corral the South Fire burning in the Lytle Creek area that has destroyed at least nine homes and multiple other structures as of Saturday.
Crews worked overnight to improve containment lines of the fire, which erupted Wednesday afternoon near the 15 Freeway, in the area of Lytle Creek and Duncan roads and ballooned to 819 acres by Saturday.
Firefighters have since gained some ground on the blaze, with 10% containment, according to an update Saturday morning.
About 1,000 people remained displaced Saturday amid standing evacuation orders for the area north of Glen Helen Parkway, East of Sierra/Lytle Creek Road and West of the 15 Freeway, according to officials with the San Bernardino National Forest.
An evacuation shelter has been set up at the Jessie Turner Center on 15556 Summit Ave. in Fontana.
As of Saturday, the South Fire has destroyed nine homes and damaged one. About 13 out buildings have been reported damaged or destroyed.
A forest closure order went into effect Friday and remained in place Saturday for the fire’s area and recreational sites. Officials warned that those who enter the restricted may be cited.
Additional resources have also arrived to help contain the fire, and some 600 firefighters on the lines as of Saturday morning.
Firefighters were bracing for high temperatures and low relative humidity through the weekend, officials said.
“Hot conditions will persist through the weekend, especially over the valleys and mountains where temperatures could exceed 100,” the National Weather Service tweeted.
It remains unclear what sparked the wildfire. Officials said the cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
The following roads remained closed due to the fire Saturday:
- Sierra Ave North of the 15 Freeway
- Lytle Creek Road to Duncan Canyon
- Lytle Creek Road to Sierra Avenue
- Glen Helen Parkway at Sycamore Center Drive
- Lone Pine Canyon Road at Highway 138