(Reuters) – A rapidly growing fire in the Eastern Sierra region of California burned more than 404 hectares and forced withdrawals in several counties, the California Fire Protection and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) department on Sunday.
The Silver Fire fire, which began around 2:11 pm on Sunday, near Highway 6 and Silver Canyon Road in Inyo County, remained zero percent containment, Cal Fire said.
Withdrawal orders to various communities were issued, including LAWS, in Inyo County, Chalfant, in Mono County, and the White Mountain Estates neighborhood, Cal Fire added. A stretch of highway 6 was also closed.
To date, there have been no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to Cal Fire.
More than 200 firefighters were fighting the fire, but gusts of wind that reached 56km/h at Bishop airport prevented some fire -fighting aircraft and complicated containment efforts, Cal Fire said at a Facebook update at the end of Sunday.
The US National Meteorology Service predicted southwest winds of 40km/ha 56km/he gusts up to 104km/h on Monday to the region.
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Earlier this year, California’s largest city, Los Angeles, suffered the worst fires in its history, killing 28 people and damaging or destroying more than 16,000 structures.
