Power Line-Ignited Fire Claims 4 Homes; 400 Flee

Power lines downed by gusty winds ignited a fire in a hilly area north of San Bernardino early Saturday that destroyed four homes, damaged three others and burned 300 acres of brush, officials said.

Authorities estimated the damage at $1.7 million. In addition to the four gutted homes, numerous small sheds and outbuildings also were destroyed, they said.

About 400 people living in the Devore Heights area, northeast of Interstate 215, were evacuated for several hours after the blaze erupted shortly after 1 a.m., said Capt. Clyde Gamma of the California Department of Forestry.

The evacuees, who included campers from a nearby campground, spent several hours at evacuation centers set up by the American Red Cross before being allowed to return to their homes about 6 a.m. when most of the fire had been contained, Gamma said.

Two residents were treated for smoke inhalation, officials said.

Gamma described Devore Heights as an “upper middle-class, well-to-do” area in the community of Devore, which is eight miles northwest of the city of San Bernardino.

He added that the area, which is filled with brush, juniper and eucalyptus trees, was dry from four years of drought.

More than 300 firefighters from the California Department of Forestry, the San Bernardino County Fire Department and other agencies battled the blaze, which broke out after winds up to 50 m.p.h downed power lines, Gamma said.