A brush fire moved into a residential neighborhood after breaking out near Little Mountain Basin in San Bernardino Monday afternoon, officials said.
Crews were on scene by 5 p.m., less than 10 minutes after flames were first reported in the 200 block of West 39th Street, near the Newmark Little League field, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
High winds pushed the blaze — dubbed the Little Mountain Fire — into a hilltop neighborhood south of the Little League field, officials said.
After initially saying the fire damaged six homes, the Fire Department later said three were damaged.
At least one home that may be a total loss and several yards along Edgerton Drive had gone up in flames, aerial video from Sky5 showed just after 6 p.m. A portion of a second home appeared to be charred by flames that had been extinguished.
As of 7 p.m., the flames had burned roughly 17 acres, firefighters said. Officials also reported that multiple power lines were down in the area.
By 6:30 p.m., it appeared firefighters had knocked down most of the large flames and were focusing on mopping up embers and spot fires. But authorities said crews were continuing to defend structures Monday night.
A temporary shelter for affected residents was set up in the gymnasium at Cajon High School, 1200 W. Hill Drive in San Bernardino.
Children in nearby after-school programs were being sheltered in place, the city school district said around 5:30 p.m.
Some hand crews and engines would remain on scene overnight, officials said.
Firefighters were having a difficult time fully containing the flames due to winds — expected to continue through Tuesday — and the steepness of the terrain, according to the Fire Department.
Aerial video also showed some residents using garden hoses to put out spot fires.
One firefighter suffered a moderate injury and was being evaluated at a hospital, authorities said. He was hurt by falling, according to the San Bernardino Sun.
The newspaper also reported that four civilians were also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
Earlier this year, in July, authorities had said they were searching for an arson suspect after a 70-acre blaze erupted in the same neighborhood.
The cause of Monday’s fire remained under investigation.