About 800 firefighters are battling the fire, along with two water-dropping helicopters and two airplanes. At least nine local fire departments have been scrambled, but have only managed to bring about 15 percent of the affected area under control so far.
Mom just sent me this. View from my backyard #california #wildfire pic.twitter.com/mFz7RkPfXRโ Kyle Wilson (@Kyle_DucksFan_W) April 19, 2015
"@ABC7JulieSone: Firefighters battling vegetation fire near Prado Dam in #ChinoHills (video via @Tbsgspencer)
pic.twitter.com/QjN7BhPUjY" โ Los Angeles Fires (@LosAngelesFires) April 19, 2015
#HighwayFire from the ICP pic.twitter.com/h89DnXDQ6m โ Jon Ferguson (@Firefergy6) April 19, 2015
The fire is getting really big #ABC7Eyewitness pic.twitter.com/yfCYSrsuzI โ THANK YOU JUSTIN (@Andreais4real) April 19, 2015
The mandatory evacuation of 300 local homes was said to be a precaution. American Red Cross opened evacuation centers for local residents, as well as their horses. The evacuation order was lifted early on Sunday morning.
The blaze started near the Prado Dam in Chino Hills, California, which creates the Prado Flood Control Basin reservoir. It is not yet known what started the blaze, but California is experiencing the fourth year of a severe drought. Last year, wildfires burned a territory of over 630,000 acres.
Sad to say that the South West is returning to one of its natural environs: desert. At what point will FEMA round up everybody in the state and ship them up to Michigan?