Wildfire above Rancho Cucamonga now 2,190 acres as winds die down

The size of the wildfire burning above Rancho Cucamonga grew to roughly 2,190 acres Friday, but firefighters continued to gain the upper hand as powerful Santa Ana winds diminished.

The Etiwanda fire had been estimated at 1,627 acres overnight, but better mapping on Friday pushed the size upward, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire was fueled by days of gusty winds that kept water-dropping aircraft grounded, hampering the firefight. It was first reported shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, and quickly ballooned, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of homes.

Three firefighters have suffered minor injuries and one home has been damaged. More than 900 firefighters have been sent to fight the blaze.

Conditions were expected to be calmer Friday, with winds staying below 20 mph, said Lisa Stall of the National Weather Service.

“It won’t be nearly as bad as it has been the last couple of days,” she said.

With the winds diminishing, officials said they planned to deploy water-dropping helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft as firefighters on the ground were working to cut containment lines with hand crews and bulldozers.

Structure protection engines were continuing to patrol the neighborhoods near the fire perimeter, the Forest Service said.

The heat wave that has been baking the region was expected to give way to a cooling trend over the weekend, with temperatures easing back into the 70s at the beaches and low 80s inland, according to the weather service.