Fontana Brush Fire Grows to Consume About 342 Acres
The blaze was contained as of 3:30 p.m., officials said.
Craig Fiegener
Smoke from a wind-blown brush fire darkened the sky over a north Fontana neighborhood Friday, but crews were able to contain the blaze before it did any damage. The 340-acre fire started along the 15 Freeway, and burned in a rectangle formation. Craig Fiegener reports from Fontana for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2012.
A brush fire in Fontana has grown to consume 342 acres and is fully contained, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department's aerial mapping of the blaze.
The blaze was initially estimated between 25 and 30 acres. Shortly before 2 p.m., the estimate was reduced to 10 to 15 acres, said SBCFire spokesman Eric Sherwin. But by 3:30 p.m., officials' aerial shot of the fire, which fire crews described as long, showed it had grown to more than 340 acres.
Gusts were estimated at 40 mph but have since calmed down, Sherwin said.
Some 200 personnel battled the fire. Crews will remain on scene overnight into Saturday morning, Sherwin said.
The fire started around 12:15 p.m. near Sierra Avenue south of Riverside Avenue in Fontana. Investigators believe the blaze was sparked near the 15 Freeway, but the cause is still under investigation.
No structures were threatened and the nearest homes are several miles away. No injuries have been reported, though two vehicles parked in an open area were damaged in the blaze.
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