CALIFORNIA — Officials from the San Bernardino National Forest are trying to identify one or more persons of interest involved in the July 3 Mount R Fire.
At least one person was seen leaving the fire’s point of origin on City Creek Road, off Highway 330. The fire is spreading near the “R” emblem on a hillside close to and visible from the University of Redlands.
“The person or persons were seen in a black sedan Audi with a broken left taillight,” Forest Service officials said.
The fire initially started burning uphill toward the community of Running Springs. Firefighters responded to reports of the fire at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3.
“Ground and air resources continue to work to suppress and contain the fire,” officials said. The San Bernardino National Forest shared a tweet post with the resources used to fight the fire yesterday, July 4.
The fire was originally reported as 100-acre in size, but more accurate mapping of region showed the fire spans 58 acres. As of July 5, 30 percent of the fire has been contained.
Highway 330 reopened at 7:00 p.m. after being temporarily closed. Officials reminded motorists driving around the area to be cautious because of the busy holiday weekend.
City Creek Road, located between Highway 330 and Alder Creek Road, remains closed, along with a number of trails around the area.
Mandatory evacuation orders issued on Friday due to the fire have already been lifted.
Officials are asking that anyone with information about the investigation call 909-383-5651.
