Nearly 4,000 Acres Burn In Inland Empire Fires

RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES, CA — Five brush fires that began over the weekend in the Inland Empire had scorched nearly 4,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, and the largest of the blazes continued to displace thousands of residents.

Below are the 8:30 a.m. updates on the active Wolf, Juniper, Lake, Mindy, and Cable fires burning in the region.

Wolf Fire

Evacuation orders and warnings were ongoing on Wednesday morning as a result of the 2,414-acre Wolf Fire, which is testing firefighters in Banning.

Now in its fourth day, the blaze was 40% contained as of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

While terrain continued to pose hazards, improving weather conditions and humidity have firefighters hopeful of widening containment.

There was no word on when some evacuation orders and warnings might be lifted. Cal Fire maintains an interactive map that shows evacuation areas. Click here or above to see it.

The Wolf Fire began just after 3 p.m. Sunday at Old Banning Idyllwild Road and Wolfskill Truck Trail.

Read more: Banning Fire Map: See Wolf Fire Perimeter, Ongoing Evacuations.

Juniper Fire

On Wednesday, fire crews continued to battle the 755-acre Juniper Fire, which was burning west of Perris.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department achieved 95% containment on the blaze as of 8:30 a.m., lifting all mandatory evacuations and evacuation warnings the day before. Firefighters will be patrolling the area throughout the day to reach full containment, according to a Cal Fire statement.

The fire began at 11:30 a.m. Monday near the 19300 block of Ann Way and Juniper Road in Mead Valley.

The blaze briefly forced thousands to flee their homes, though firefighters were eventually able to halt the flames' forward progress.

Read more: Juniper Fire Scorches 750+Acres Near Perris

Lake Fire

A fast-moving brush fire that broke out near Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County over the weekend remained 70% contained as of Wednesday morning. The Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area remains closed to the public, according to Cal Fire's most recent statement. For Emergency Alert Notifications, visit San Bernardino County Sheriff Department.

The non-injury Lake Fire was first reported at around 4 p.m. Saturday just south of Hesperia in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, according to Cal Fire/San Bernardino County Fire Department.

Forward spread on the 489-acre blaze was halted, and all evacuations were lifted.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Read more about the Lake Fire on the Cal Fire incidents page.

Mindy Fire

A brush fire that burned 109 acres east of Temecula was 99% contained as of 9 a.m. Wednesday morning, with all evacuation orders lifted. "Firefighters continue working diligently to strengthen containment lines and mop-up operations to eliminate any remaining heat spots in the fire perimeter," Cal Fire stated in its most recent report..

The Mindy Fire was reported around 3:40 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Decoursey Road and Mindy Lane in Aguanga, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

Evacuation orders were temporarily issued for areas north of Wilson Balley Road, west of Cahuilla Heights Road, east of Benton Road and south of Red Mountain Road.

About 100 personnel were assigned to the fire, including 19 engines, three water tenders, two bulldozers, four hand crews and numerous firefighting air tankers, Cal Fire said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Read more about the Mindy Fire on the Cal Fire incidents page.

Cable Fire

The Cable Fire, which was reported at around 3:30 p.m. Monday near the 1500 block of Martin Ranch Road and Cable Lane in the Cable Canyon area, burned 19 acres, according to Cal Fire/San Bernardino County firefighters.

As of Wednesday morning, fire officials reported that the blaze was 95% contained and forward spread had been halted.

A firefighter was hospitalized after sustaining a heat-related injury, according to San Bernardino County officials. The crew member's updated status was not immediately known.

As of Wednesday morning, no evacuation orders or warnings were in place for the blaze.

"CAL FIRE San Bernardino Unit remains in command of the Cable Fire," Cal Fire stated in its most recent report. "While active fire is no longer present, CAL FIRE/California Conservation Corps crews will remain on site conducting suppression repair. Suppression repair involves restoring areas affected by firefighting operations, including reinforcing control lines, mitigating potential erosion, and removing equipment or debris to help return the landscape to a stable and natural condition."

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Read more about the Cable Fire on the Cal Fire incidents page.