Lightning could worsen a wildfire east of Los Angeles that already threatens 35,000 homes and buildings

An out-of-control wildfire in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles threatened tens of thousands of buildings and forced hundreds of residents to flee Sunday amid a days-long heat wave with triple-digit temperatures.

The Line Fire was burning along the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. As of Sunday morning, the blaze had charred about 27 square miles (70 square kilometers) of grass and chaparral, leaving a thick, dark cloud of smoke blanketing the area.

The fire burned so hot Saturday that it created its own thunderstorm-like pyroculum cloud weather systems, which could bring more challenging conditions like gusty winds and lightning, according to the National Weather Service. Firefighters also faced steep terrain, which limited their ability to control the blaze, officials said. The fire remained uncontained Sunday afternoon. County officials, who declared an emergency Saturday night, issued evacuation orders for Running Springs, Arrowbear Lake, areas east of Highway 330 and other regions.

Running Springs resident Steven Michael King said he had planned to stay to fight the fire and help his neighbors until Sunday morning, when the blaze intensified. He had prepared his home to prevent fire damage, but decided to leave out of fear that smoke might prevent him from finding a way out later.

“It came down to, what’s worse, being trapped or being in a shelter?” she said outside an evacuation center on Sunday. “When conditions changed, I had to make a quick decision, just a couple of packages and everything fits in a shopping cart.”

Joseph Escobedo said his family has lived in Angelus Oaks for about three years and has never had to evacuate for a wildfire. His family, with three young children, was among the few who had not yet left the area as of Sunday afternoon.

State fire officials said three firefighters were injured and more than 35,000 structures were threatened, including single- and multi-family homes and commercial buildings. Thunderstorms expected later in the day could make it even more difficult to control the blaze.

“Afternoon thunderstorms could spark additional fires and potentially impact activity around the fire perimeter,” state fire officials said in a Sunday morning update. “Warm, dry conditions combined with thunderstorms are expected to challenge firefighters over the next several days.”

The fire prompted the Redlands Unified School District to cancel classes Monday for about 20,000 students.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County Saturday night.

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