Most Evacuees Return Home as Crews Gain Ground on Wildfires

Crews gained enough ground on two brush fires to let most evacuees return home Tuesday, but both blazes were still out of control after blackening more than 30,000 acres and destroying 14 homes.

A 19,200-acre wildfire that began with a lightning strike Friday near this San Jacinto Mountains resort community continued to burn above Palm Springs.

The fire came within two miles of the Palm Springs city limit.

“We’re getting flare-ups and the people in Palm Springs can see that, but that doesn’t mean the fire’s getting any closer,” said U.S. Forest Service spokesman George Kenline. “It hasn’t moved in quite a while.”

Authorities hoped to have the fire surrounded by Thursday.

About 60 miles to the northwest, an 11,000-acre fire burned brush near small San Bernardino County ranches. Known as the Devil’s fire, it began Sunday near Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains and spread northeast toward the desert communities of Apple Valley and Lucerne Valley.

The Red Cross shut down emergency shelters at both fires Tuesday.

Early Monday, authorities had asked residents of about 500 homes to evacuate because of the Devil’s fire. The request was called off Tuesday.

Another 500 homes in the communities of Pinyon Crest, Pinyon Pines and Alpine were evacuated Sunday, and most of those people were allowed to go home Tuesday.

That blaze, known as the Palm fire, destroyed 14 homes and damaged seven others between late Sunday and Monday evening in the Pinyon Pines area, about 10 miles southwest and 5,000 feet above Palm Desert, said Forest Service spokeswoman Frances Enkoji.

California 74, connecting Pinyon Pines with Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs, was reopened Tuesday.

Forty-five firefighters suffered minor injuries or heat exhaustion in the Palm fire.