Crews continued working overnight to contain the smoldering remnants of a wildfire that blackened hundreds of acres in a rural area near Golden Acorn Casino, spreading perilously close to back-country neighborhoods but damaging no homes.
As of Thursday morning, the roughly 820-acre non-injury blaze west of Ribbonwood Road was about 73% contained, as of 7:30am Thursday according to Cal Fire.
The fire erupted for unknown reasons at about 1 p.m. Tuesday off the 37000 block of Tusil Road, just north of Interstate 8 in Boulevard.
Within two hours, the fast-moving flames had charred several dozen acres on the grounds of Campo Indian Reservation and were moving south toward the freeway, officials said.
The California Highway Patrol shut down a stretch of the freeway in the area as ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze.
For a time, the flames were an imminent threat to about 15 homes, according to Cal Fire. By late afternoon Tuesday, the blaze had jumped Interstate 8 in a few spots and had damaged one outbuilding and a vehicle, the agency reported.
Sheriff's deputies cleared people out of residences on both sides of the freeway in the area of Old Highway 80, officials said. A temporary shelter for the displaced was available at the casino at 1800 Golden Acorn Way, a mile or so east of the fire.
As of late Wednesday morning, some of the residents who had to vacate their homes due to the blaze had been allowed back into their neighborhoods, but many of the evacuation orders remained in effect, authorities said.
Some 178 personnel were assigned to the fire, including 25 engines, seven hand crews and two helicopters, officials reported. At least 12 additional agencies were assisting in the effort.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
