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Firefighters battle 850-acre wildfire near Big Bear

The Holcomb fire in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear has burned 850 acres.
(Audrey Scranton / Handout via U.S. Forest Service)
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Firefighters were battling a fast-moving wildfire Monday in a section of the dry, grassy San Bernardino Mountains north of Big Bear.

The blaze, dubbed the Holcomb fire, began about 3 p.m. near Holcomb Valley Road and North Shore Drive, the Big Bear Fire Department said.

By 6 p.m., the fire had spread to 850 acres, the U.S. Forest Service said. Firefighters have no containment on the blaze.

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The flames generated large plumes of smoke that were visible across the region. The smoke and wind prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory, warning of unhealthy air in the Eastern San Bernardino Mountains.

The wildfire was not posing a threat to homes, but the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the Tanglewood Campground, the Doble Trail campground, the Baldwin Lake area and a nearby waste dump were closed as a precaution.

Some roads in the area were also closed, including Highway 18 between Baldwin Lake Road to Mitsubishi Plant Road and Van Dusen Canyon Road.

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Firefighters were contending with a heat spell as well as wind gusts of up to 23 mph.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

matt.hamilton@latimes.com

Twitter: @MattHjourno

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UPDATES:

8:50 p.m.: This article was updated with information on a smoke advisory and road closures in the area.

6:10 p.m.: This article was updated with the fire’s increase from 200 to 850 acres.

This article was originally published at 5:55 p.m.

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