The Vista fire continued to burn in the San Bernardino National Forest Thursday, covering more than 2,700 acres as of that morning, officials announced.
About 500 firefighters are battling the blaze, which ignited Sunday around 1 p.m. on the south side of Lytle Creek and soon threatened the Mount Baldy area, including its nearly 100-year-old resort, U.S. Forest Service officials said. Portions of the Pacific Crest Trail were closed, in addition to trails below the resort.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby recreational areas, said Nathan Judy of the U.S. Forest Service. An estimated 416 structures were threatened by the flames.
Firefighters reported no containment of the blaze as of Thursday morning, with a community meeting scheduled for Lytle Creek residents at 6 p.m. at the Lytle Creek Community Center, park officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Mount Baldy is the highest point in Los Angeles County and boasts some of the most iconic trails in the region, including the 10-mile loop that climbs up Devil’s Backbone.
The resort will be closed Friday but might be able to reopen over the weekend, officials said in a Thursday afternoon update.
“We are not 100% in the clear just yet, but it appears that the greater Mt. Baldy area has dodged a bullet,” the resort said.
The fire almost doubled in size overnight from Wednesday, with fire crews working to build containment and contingency lines, according to officials. Low humidity, high temperatures and windy conditions continued to fuel the blaze.
“The complex terrain, hot weather and winds, combined with hazards such as falling dead trees and rolling material, make control of this fire a challenge,” Operations Section Chief Scott Grasmick said in a Forest Service update.
