The Mountain Fire in the San Jacinto Mountains has burned 42-square miles since July 15
Monday, Jul 22, 2013 | Updated 12:02 PM PDT
KNBC-Los AngelesFirefighters planned on Friday to patrol the perimeter of the massive Mountain Fire while bracing for possible mudslides and flash floods on hillsides denuded by the blaze that has been burning for more than a week.
After being helped by significant rainfall over the weekend, firefighters shifted gears, evaluating burned areas for damage and mopping up hot spots with the hope of fully containing the fire by Wednesday.
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Firefighters have the blaze 68 percent contained, the US Forest Service said in a Monday morning statement.
Storms dropped an inch and a half of rain on the blaze Sunday, officials announced, allowing thousands of residents to return to the resort town of Idyllwild and nearby communities southwest of Palm Springs after mandatory evacuations were lifted.
The fire has been burning in rugged terrain since July 15. The area where it started was in the San Jacinto Mountains, just west of Palm Springs in Riverside County.
Some 23 structures have been destroyed, including seven homes. The cost of the fire is estimated at more than $20 million.
At its peak, 3,478 firefighters were working to control the blaze, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Authorities have said the fire was human-caused, but they wouldn't say whether it was accidental or intentional, according to the Associated Press.
Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Mountain-Fire-216461401.html?_osource=Newltr_Station_Hdlines_LACheck out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
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