UPDATE: Fire Chars 350 Acres, One Yucaipa Neighborhood Open to Residents Only

Saturday Update: For June 29 coverage of the Mill Fire from Redlands-Loma Linda Patch click the following link:

MILL FIRE: 'Nothing Ruled Out' for Cause of 534-Acre Mentone-Yucaipa Blaze

Update 9:05 p.m. A neighborhood of about 130 homes near the 350-acre burn in the Mentone-Yucaipa area was still considered under evacuation, but residents were being allowed in with identification, a Cal Fire spokeswoman said at 9 p.m. Friday June 28. 

Yucaipa Regional Park was no longer set up as refuge for large animals, but the evacuation center at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church, 12687 California St., was expected to remain in place overnight for anyone seeking assistance, Annette Avila of Cal Fire said in a phone interview.

Update 8:11 p.m. Evacuations have been lifted for all areas near the 350-acre burn in the Mentone-Yucaipa area, except for north of Carter and west of Bryant, where an estimated 100 homes are still considered evacuated, a Cal Fire spokeswoman said just after 8 p.m. Friday June 28.

Highway 38 is open in both directions to all mountain residents with identification, and Bryant Street is open to all Yucaipa residents with identification, Annette Avila of Cal Fire said in a phone interview.

Update 7:11 p.m. A fire that broke out Friday afternoon near Highway 38 in the Mentone-Yucaipa area had scorched an estimated 350 acres as of 7 p.m., and residents of roughly 100 homes were still under mandatory evacuation orders, a Cal Fire spokeswoman tells Redlands-Loma Linda Patch.

The fire was considered 5 percent contained as of 7 p.m. June 28, Annette Avila of Cal Fire said in a phone interview.

"One structure has been damaged," Avila said. No injuries had been reported.

"We are letting residents into an area that was evacuated earlier," Avila said. "The fire is no longer threatening there. There is an area where firefighters are still doing structure protection."

A contingent of 30 engine crews and seven ground crews, totaling more than 250 firefighters, six tanker planes and four helicopters were assigned to the fire, Avila said.

Bryant Street from Highway 38 to Oak Glen Road remained closed except to residents, and Highway 38 from Garnet to Bryant remained closed, Avila said.

Update 5:59 p.m. An evacuation center has been set up for residents retreating from the fire in the Mentone-Yucaipa area at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church, 12687 California St., Annette Avila of Cal Fire tells Redlands-Loma Linda Patch.

Anyone seeking a safe place for large animals can take them to Yucaipa Regional Park, Avila said in a phone interview just before 6 p.m.

Avila said she had not been told of any injuries, and there was no information available on the cause of the fire, which broke out earlier Friday afternoon near Highway 38.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents south of the 38 to Carter and west of Bryant Street, said Cindy Bachman of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Update 5:25 p.m. There were roughly a hundred homes in the evacuation areas identified by the Sheriff's Department and the Forest Service, USFS spokeswoman Carol Underhill estimated shortly after 5 p.m.

Cal Fire and Redlands Fire officials were in unified command with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Bill Peters of the Cal Fire Inyo-Mono-San Bernardino Unit said earlier in a phone interview.

Update 5:06 p.m. Due to the fire burning in the Mentone-Yucaipa area near Highway 38, mandatory evacuations have been ordered for residents south of the 38 to Carter and west of Bryant Street, Cindy Bachman of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department tells Redlands-Loma Linda Patch.

Voluntary evacuations were in place for residents south of Carter and west of Bryant to Yucaipa Regional Park, Bachman said. The park itself was being evacuated, Bachman said just before 5 p.m. June 28.

Update 5 p.m. A fire that broke out Friday afternoon near Highway 38 in the Mentone-Yucaipa area had scorched 200 acres as of 5 p.m., according to a Forest Service spokeswoman.

Highway 38 was closed between Bryant Street and Greenspot. Evacuations were requested for residents north of Carter Street and west of Bryant Street, USFS spokeswoman Carol Underhill tells Redlands-Loma Linda Patch.

Update 4:55 p.m. The Forest Service has five engine crews and aircraft assisting on the fire in the Mentone-Yucaipa area, USFS spokeswoman Carol Underhill tells Redlands-Loma Linda Patch.

Update 4:43 p.m. A fire burning Friday afternoon in Mentone and Yucaipa prompted authorities to ask people who live in the area of Olive Tree Lane and Cribari Drive to evacuate, Cindy Bachman of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.

"They said the 38 is closed from Byrant to Greenspot, that was about 10 minutes ago," Jeremiah Price of Yucaipa told Redlands-Loma Linda Patch.

"There's still a plume and there's some thicker dark smoke again," George Watson of Yucaipa said about 4:20 p.m. "I hear helicopters, I can hear the choppers now . . . There goes a tanker plane."

Update 3:57 p.m. Yucaipa residents were concerned Friday afternoon by the large plume of smoke coming off a fire burning in the Mentone area near Highway 38.

"The smoke was very dark and heavy," George Watson said at 3:30 p.m., calling Redlands-Loma Linda Patch from his home near Yucaipa Boulevard.

"The last five minutes it looks they've been hammering it with the planes," Watson said. "It's more white smoke now, but it's a big ---ing plume. It appears to be on the hills northwest of us."

Jodie Allison Lewis, who owns Gilmore Insurance in Yucaipa, took a photo of the fire from near Bryant Street and Oak Glen Road.

"The fire seemed to be growing when I saw it last," she said at 3:35 p.m. "I have horses in that area so I went to check on them. They're ok, the fire's not near them."

Posted 3:25 p.m. A fire broke Friday afternoon out near Highway 38 in the Mentone area and it scorched an estimated 50 acres as of 3 p.m., according to Cal Fire San Bernardino and County Fire officials.

The fire was visible from the Rite-Aid at Bryant Street and Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa resident Deanna Garretson told Redlands-Loma Linda Patch in a phone interview.

"We live off Bryant and saw the smoke," Garretson said. "It looks like it's getting bigger. We're not anywhere near it but it's scarey."

Cal Fire and Redlands Fire officials were in unified command with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, Bill Peters of the CAL FIRE Inyo-Mono-San Bernardino Unit said in a phone interview.

Stay with Redlands-Loma Linda Patch for updates.