YUCAIPA, Calif. – A wildfire that had consumed about 125 acres and continued to burn Thursday was started by a camper who lit a signal fire after getting lost in a national forest, authorities said.
The man got lost trying to return to a group of other campers after a hike in the San Bernardino National Forest, U.S. Forest Service spokesman John Miller said. The camper was about a mile from where he started when he set the signal fire Tuesday night.
Authorities hadn't determined whether to charge the man, whom Miller declined to name.
Nearly 400 firefighters, four helicopters and four air tankers battled the blaze in hard-to-reach terrain near Yucaipa, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles. Low winds allowed crews to get the upper hand by Wednesday afternoon.
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