More than 600 firefighters working in difficult terrain and triple-digit heat managed to hold the Valley fire burning near Forest Falls to 1,348 acres and 13 percent containment overnight, the San Bernardino National Forest Service reported Tuesday.
“Minimal fire growth is expected to the north into the San Gorgonio Wilderness,” according to a National Forest Service statement. “This terrain is rugged and steep with a risk of burning logs and rocks rolling downhill.”
The fire first ignited on the afternoon of Friday, July 6, in the area of Highway 38 and Valley of the Falls Drive and quickly grew to 1,000 acres. The fire forced the evacuation of dozens of homes in the small mountain town. Authorities lifted evacuation orders for residents of Forest Falls on Sunday night.