The Vista Fire was burning in the San Bernardino National Forest on Thursday and had burned more than 2,700 acres by morning, officials said.
Some 500 firefighters are working Firefighting, which began on the south side of Little Creek around 1 p.m. Sunday and quickly threatened the Baldy Mountain area, including. complex of almost 100 yearsU.S. Forest Service officials said. In addition to the resort’s lower trails, portions of the Pacific Crest Trail have been closed.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby recreation areas, said U.S. Forest Service Ranger Nathan Judy. About 416 structures are under threat of fire.
Park officials said firefighters did not report the fire was contained until Thursday morning, with a community meeting for Lytle Creek residents scheduled for 6 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Baldy Mountain is the highest point in Los Angeles County and has some of the area’s most iconic trails, including a 10-mile loop that climbs Devil’s Pillar.
In The complex is closed on Fridays. but may reopen over the weekend, officials said in an update Thursday afternoon.
“We are not 100% sure yet, but it appears a larger area of Mount Baldy escaped the bullet,” the resort said.
The blaze has nearly doubled in size overnight since Wednesday, officials said, and firefighters worked to build containment and emergency lines. Low humidity, high temperatures and strong winds caused the fire to grow.
“Complex terrain, hot weather and wind, along with hazards such as falling dead trees and rolling stock, make this fire difficult to control,” division operations chief Scott Grasmick said in a Forest Service update.
