RIALTO, Calif. – Firefighters contained a wind-blown blaze Tuesday that had threatened hundreds of homes after being ignited by welders' sparks and melted metal.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph turned Monday's small brush fire into a 640-acre blaze on the edge of Rialto, 60 miles east of Los Angeles. The wind died down overnight, though, allowing firefighters to gain the upper hand, San Bernardino County fire spokesman Steve Hansen.
The fire destroyed a lumberyard at an industrial park, but surrounding homes were spared and there were no injuries reported.
"The fire stopped at the pallet yard, and it was just a matter of making sure it stayed there," Hansen said.
Damage was estimated at $1 million.
Officials said the fire started near construction workers who were doing welding work along Interstate 15, the main route from Southern California to Las Vegas. The fire was at the foot of notoriously windy Cajon Pass near the junction of Interstates 215 and 15.
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