Wildfire above Rancho Cucamonga grows to 800 acres; residents flee

A fast-moving wildfire above Rancho Cucamonga exploded in size to 800 acres Wednesday as strong winds drove flames relentlessly and forced authorities to expand mandatory evacuation areas.

About 1,100 homes had been evacuated by midday, and at least one was saved from advancing flames, said Liz Brown, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire.

While an exact size of the burn area was not immediately available, officials said the fire had grown to more than 200 acres roughly two hours after it was first reported about 8 a.m. as being a 20-acre brush fire.

[Updated 1:11 p.m. PDT: San Bernardino forest officials have confirmed the size of the blaze is now 800 acres.]

Driven by powerful Santa Ana winds, the Etiwanda fire was burning in the Day Canyon area north of the 210 Freeway, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The mandatory evacuation area included homes north of Wilson Avenue, between Etiwanda Avenue and Day Creek Wash, directly below the wildfire. The zone was also expanded on the eastern front to include homes on Banyan Street.

Angelique Lazier, 43, yelled over her fence as she and her neighbors prepared to leave their Carriage Place homes. “We think it burned up some equipment over there,” she said, pointing to a fresh plume of black smoke near a rock quarry.

Lazier’s husband, race car driver Jaques Lazier, watered down the vegetation at the back of their property. The couple said that was the area that burned during the last fire, the Grand Prix, in 2003. They were evacuated during that blaze, but later allowed to return to their home. But the flames spread unexpectedly, and the Laziers woke up to firefighters banging on their door in the middle of the night, telling them to leave.

This time the couple was ready. Both of their cars were packed.

“If it shifts back on us, we’re out of here,” Angelique Lazier said. “We’re gone.”

A temporary shelter was set up for evacuees at Central Park, at the northwest corner of Milliken Avenue and Base Line Road. Animals can also be taken to the county animal shelter at 19777 Shelter Way in Devore, which can be reached at (909) 887-8055.

As heavy smoke billowed through Rancho Cucamonga and flames reached the canyons above Day Creek Intermediate School at about 9:30 a.m., officials canceled classes at multiple campuses, including Day Creek, Caryn Elementary, Los Osos High School and Chaffey College.

The Etiwanda School District voluntarily moved students from Colony Elementary to Terra Vista Elementary, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

Powerful winds with gusts of up to 80 mph had prevented air crews from making water drops all morning as flames whipped through canyons and along ridges.

The gusty winds combined with temperatures nearing 100 degrees prompted red flag warnings across much of the region Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a challenge, but we anticipated these fire conditions because of the fire warning,” Brown told KTLA-TV earlier in the day.

An estimated 550 personnel and 30 engines were assigned to fight the blaze with aircraft “available,” according to the Forest Service.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District, meanwhile, issued a smoke advisory for portions of western San Bernardino and Riverside counties, as well as eastern Los Angeles County as air quality reached unhealthy levels due to the fire.

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