Firefighters Gain Upper Hand on Swift Chino Hills Park Blaze

High humidity and light winds helped 700 firefighters gain the upper hand on a fast-moving brush fire today that had raged out of control in the hilly countryside between Yorba Linda and the San Bernardino County line.

The blaze, which charred more than 6,500 acres of tinder-dry sagebrush, grass and scrub oak in less than 24 hours, was accidentally sparked by a teen-ager who was playing with a model rocket at the border of the state park in Yorba Linda.

It was expected to be fully contained by 6 p.m. today.

Under state law, the parents of the 15-year-old could be held responsible for paying the cost of fighting the fire, which was estimated to be more than $1 million a day, fire officials said.

The blaze broke out about 12:40 p.m. Thursday near Blue Gum and Rim Crest drives and raced toward the San Bernardino line.

Fire crews from the U.S. Forestry Service, San Bernardino County, Brea, Santa Ana and Anaheim were called to assist the county Fire Department. Officials said the only structural damage occurred Thursday night when the blaze destroyed an unoccupied shack.

Four inmate firefighters were injured overnight. Three suffered smoke inhalation as they labored to dig trenches along the perimeter of the fire. The fourth inmate broke his arm when he slipped about 75 feet into a deep ravine.