What to Know
- The Apple Fire started Friday and spread through parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
- The fire was 30% contained by Wednesday morning.
- A dozen buildings have been destroyed in the nearly 27,000-acre fire.
Slightly cooler weather Wednesday helped firefighters make progress against a huge blaze in mountains east of Los Angeles.
The wildfire straddling Riverside and San Bernardino counties had consumed 27,319 acres -- nearly 43 square miles -- of brush and trees since it broke out Friday, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
As of Wednesday morning, the Apple Fire was 30% contained.
Pictures: Apple Fire in Southern California Explodes to 20,000 Acres
Fire officials said the fire started due to a vehicle malfunction.
Most residents forced from their homes by the flames were allowed to return Tuesday evening. At its peak, about 8,000 people were under evacuation orders.
The blaze burned a dozen buildings, including four homes.
About 200 miles to the northwest, crews battled a fast-growing wildfire that broke out Tuesday and prompted evacuations of rural communities in Kern County.
By Wednesday morning the Stagecoach Fire south of Lake Isabella had charred 4,100 of brush. The cause of that blaze was under investigation.
California Wildfires
Riverside County residents were encouraged to visit this website for an interactive map, where they can enter their address and see if they are in an evacuation area.
