The fire was reported just after 3 p.m. Sunday in the area of Old Idyllwild Road and Sherlion Drive, where fire crews reported the fire burning at a moderate rate of spread, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

As of 1 p.m. Monday, the blaze was 0 percent contained.

“The fire continues to burn at a moderate rate in medium to heavy brush. Four night-flying helicopters and hundreds of firefighters will continue working throughout the night on containing the fire,” Cal Fire announced in a 10 p.m. status report.

Evacuation orders were issued for areas east of Highland Springs Avenue, west of Old Cabazon Road, north of Poppet Flat Divide Truck Trail and south of the Redlands (10) Freeway.

Evacuation warnings were also in place for regions east of Bergamo Avenue, west of South San Gorgonio (243) Avenue, north of Poppet Flats Trail and south of Highland Springs Avenue.

A care and reception site was set up in Hemet High School at 41701, E.
Stetson Ave., in Hemet, and an animal shelter was at 581 S. Grand Ave., in
San Jacinto.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

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Following a surge in the Line Fire on September 29, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department told Seven Oaks residents to leave the small mountain community.

Angelus Oaks residents were also asked to evacuate, while those living in the Boulder Bay area along Big Bear Lake were told to be ready to move out.

The San Bernardino National Forest said on September 29, the Line Fire had spread over 62.6 square miles and was 83 percent contained, with 1,176 personnel assigned to fight the blaze. The blaze threatened more than 65,000 homes.

A California man, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, of Norco, pleaded not guilty on September 17 to starting the Line Fire on September 5. According to court records, he was charged with 11 arson-related crimes.

Temperatures are expected to rise this week across California. Dry, hot winds in the northern part of the state prompted Pacific Gas & Electric to preemptively cut power to about 1,200 customers in Butte and Shasta counties. The utility routinely cuts electricity service in areas where weather conditions increase the risk of fires.

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The Airport Fire Local Assistance Center will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Lake Community Center, located at 310 W. Graham Ave.

The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Public Health, Housing & Workforce Solutions and other local agencies will be joined by representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services and several nonprofit organizations to provide information on how to procure financial, medical and related aid.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for our residents, and the LAC is here to bring them one step closer to recovery,” according to a Riverside County Emergency Management Department statement.

Additional details are available at RivCoReady.org/recovery.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved an emergency declaration connected to the wildfire, enabling the county to seek state and federal allocations for infrastructure repairs or improvements and general recovery of expenses stemming from the blaze.

As of Wednesday, the fire was about one-third contained, and no mandatory evacuations were active for Lakeland Village, the Trilogy community and surrounding locations along Interstate 15, as was the case a week ago. The area, however, remained under an evacuation warning.

A few communities within the Cleveland National Forest in Riverside County, mostly around the closed Ortega (74) Highway, are still under evacuation orders, though a larger number are in Orange County.

“The county has implemented emergency protective measures to the public by controlling traffic, prohibiting ingress and egress into affected areas due to conditions considered dangerous to lives and property,” according to the EMD.

The Orange County Fire Authority said 14 people have been hurt, mostly firefighters who suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze, many of them heat-related.

Cal Fire said 160 residential, commercial and other structures have been destroyed, and another 34 damaged.

The Airport Fire began early on the afternoon of Sept. 9 near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remote-controlled airplane airport, OCFA Capt. Sean Doran said.

Officials said the fire was sparked by a county public works crew using heavy equipment. The cause was deemed accidental.

It’s estimated the fire will be fully contained by lines of cleared vegetation in one week.

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The bones were found by Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station deputies at approximately 3:44 p.m. Saturday along Highway 330, south of City Creek Road, in Running Springs, according to the sheriff’s department.

“The bones appear to have been in that location for an extended period of time and investigators do not believe the cause of death is related to the fire,” the sheriff’s department reported.

There was no word as to whether foul play is suspected. The San Bernardino County coroner’s office is working to determine the identity and cause of death of the deceased.

The sheriff’s Specialized Investigations Division is conducting the death investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the division at 909-890-4804. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to wetip.com.

As of Monday morning, Cal Fire reported the Line Fire had burned 39,026 acres and was 42% contained.

To date, crews have determined that four structures were damaged by the fire and one was destroyed. Inspections include residences, multi-family dwellings, outbuildings and commercial buildings, according to Cal Fire.

Three firefighters have been injured battling the blaze.

Evacuation orders continued Monday for all undeveloped land east of Highway 330 to Summertrail Place and north of Highland Avenue, according to Cal Fire. The San Bernardino National Forest is closed in and around the fire.

Several communities remain under an evacuation warning and Highway 330 is closed. See complete lists here.

Human and animal evacuation shelters remained open Monday. Find the lists here.

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, the 34-year-old Norco man accused of intentionally setting the Line Fire on Sept. 5 is scheduled to appear at an arraignment hearing Monday in San Bernardino County.

He is expected to enter pleas on nine felony charges filed Thursday by the district attorney’s office, alleging Halstenberg set three fires in Highland. Prosecutors said the first fire was extinguished by the local fire department and the second was stomped out by a passerby before the third spiraled out of control into the Line Fire.

If he is found guilty on all charges, he could face life in prison.

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