Southern California forest fire triples in size

CRESTLINE, Calif. – A wildfire in the San Bernardino National Forest east of Los Angeles has tripled in size to 7 square miles.

Firefighters work the 1,500-acre Pilot fire along CA-Highway 173 near Silverwood Lake, Calif. on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. The brush fire was reported just after noon near Silverwood Lake off CA-Highway 138. (Photo by Rachel Luna/The Sun, SCNG).

The blaze in the San Bernardino Mountains east of Silverwood Lake and south of the high desert city of Hesperia grew from 1,500 acres on Sunday to 4,500 acres early Monday. Containment is estimated at just 5 per cent.

Some 400 firefighters are working the blaze and more have been ordered.

The fire erupted shortly after noon Sunday. The cause is unknown.

Among other fires in California, the 18-day-old blaze near Big Sur has burned nearly 90 square miles and is 45 per cent contained.

More than 5,000 firefighters are on the lines of the fire, which was ignited by an illegal campfire and has destroyed 57 homes and damaged three others.

@BeatrizVNews Pilot Fire in San Bernardino National Forest. Firefighters battle fire and animals are evacuated. pic.twitter.com/PChWXpPWyD

— Mike Myers (@csiprints) August 8, 2016

Flames from Pilot Fire in San Bernardino County, Calif., glow, burn at least 1,500 acres – @SBCOUNTYFIRE pic.twitter.com/eFF9ZYnmF2

— The Goodman Report (@TheaGood) August 8, 2016

#PilotFire – Fire is now 1,500 acres with 0% containment. Air Quality alerts issued for High Desert pic.twitter.com/I8ZtRECTko

— San Bernardino National Forest (@SanBernardinoNF) August 8, 2016

Big fire San Bernardino CA a screen shot off Periscope just now the DC 10 making a drop WOW 🔥🔥🔥😞 pic.twitter.com/trOWXaJsLb

— Daryl Blankenship (@dbstar25) August 8, 2016

Jason Contant

Jason has been an award-winning journalist with Canadian Underwriter for more than a decade, including the past three years as associate editor and, before that, as digital editor for seven years.