The Mill Fire that broke out Friday next to Highway 38 in Mentone and raced through draws and over hillsides to Yucaipa neighborhoods was re-mapped Saturday to an estimated 534 acres burned, and it was considered 20 percent contained as of 2 p.m. June 29, a Calf Fire spokesman said.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, Capt. Robert Sandberg, an arson investigator with the Redlands Fire Department, said Saturday near the taped-off point of origin next to the 38.
The fire started across the road from a dirt parking area above the Mill Creek wash, according to a map of the burned area hand-drawn by Redlands Fire Chief Jeff Frazier for the June 29 Incident Action Plan.
"Nothing's been ruled in or ruled out" for the cause of the fire, Bill Peters with the Cal Fire Inyo-Mono-San Bernardino Unit said in a phone interview.
About 100 personnel remained assigned to the burned area Saturday, Peters said Saturday afternoon.
In spite of the fast-moving fire's intensity and triple-digit heat Friday, only one structure was partially damaged during the height of the fire, and no civilian or firefighter injuries were reported, Peters said.
"What we're seeing today is we have a lot of burned fences and burned trash cans," indicating how close flames came to homes, Peters said. "But Yucaipa building codes, and homeowners' understanding of the need for defensible space, these factors helped us deal with the fire.
"Given the ferocity of the fire for a couple of hours there, it didn't look good," Peters said.
The blackened hills above Yucaipa Regional Park did nothing to discourage thousands of visitors who came Saturday for swimming, fishing and barbecuing. Most parking lots were full and all areas of the park were open, an employee said at the gate.
It was near 104 degrees Fahrenheit in Yucaipa on Saturday afternoon, and an excessive heat warning remained in effect for the Redlands-Loma Linda area, the San Gorgonio Pass, and most of Southern California, according to the National Weather Service.
For Redlands-Loma Linda Patch coverage of the Mill Fire on Friday, with photos from Yucaipa and Redlands residents, click the following link:
UPDATE: Fire Chars 350 Acres, One Yucaipa Neighborhood Open to Residents Only
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