As fire crews continued to battle a brush fire near Lakeside for a third day, a second blaze erupted a short distance away on Thursday afternoon, forcing first responders to divide their efforts.
Some helicopters that had been fighting the Monte fire were diverted to the second blaze, which is being called the Hawick fire. It was first reported around 2:45 p.m., east of Hawick Drive, said Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson. The Hawick fire is about 8 miles southeast from the edge of the Monte fire.
By 6 p.m., the fire had charred about 51 acres and was 10% contained. The fire was burning in open space, in medium brush and grass, and was heading in a northeast direction.
As of about 4:30 p.m., the fire agency said on social media that the Hawick fire’s forward progress had been stopped.
“There are homes nearby but not right at the fire’s edge that I can see,” Johnson said, after he relocated to the new fire.
The county’s emergency services map initially indicated evacuation orders and warnings in nearby neighborhoods, but those were all lifted by 6 p.m.
The county map can be found here.
The Monte fire was first reported about 3 p.m. on Tuesday off El Monte Road near Yucca Road, west of El Monte County Park and quickly prompted evacuations. By Thursday morning, it had grown to 975 acres, moving in a northeast direction, and was reported to be 25% contained.
The fire had charred 1,040 acres by Thursday afternoon, with the containment remaining about the same. The fire is largely set in a remote location, with crews being taken by helicopter to fight the fire in rocky, steep terrain.
“The crews are seeing favorable conditions. The fire activity has reduced, and they are continuing to make progress,” Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson said Thursday afternoon.
More than 430 personnel have been assigned to the incident, although some are on rest periods and not on the fire at the same time, Johnson said. Officials called in 28 engines, four water tenders, six helicopters and two bulldozers. Fifteen hand crews also are working the fire.
Residents who had been evacuated were allowed to return to their homes around 10 p.m. Wednesday. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place but the fire is in an area with no homes, Johnson said. No homes have been lost and none are threatened.
The biggest challenge with the Monte fire is the terrain, which is why helicopters are being used to move personnel closer to the flames. “They are going to be focusing on flying in hand crews to continue to build on those containment lines,” he said.
Engine crews also working in areas that are more accessible.
Three firefighters suffered minor injuries on the first day of the fire and were treated and released. Johnson said there’s no estimate as to when it will be extinguished.
Staff writers Caleb Lunetta and Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.