Firefighters battled a brush fire in the foothills of Southern Redlands, California that prompted mandatory evacuations late Wednesday, October 14.

The Bruder fire was reported at about 8:52 p.m. north of Live Oak Canyon Road, between San Timoteo Canyon Road and the 10 Freeway, California Fire San Bernardino Capt. Bennet Milloy said. It had consumed between 15 and 20 acres by 10:32 p.m. and had the potential to grow to 200 or 300 acres. By about 11:45 p.m. the fire had grown to 60 acres with 0 percent containment, Cal Fire said.

Winds moving between 3 and 5 miles per hour were driving the fire west, Milloy said. It was burning through vegetation in a remote area with difficult terrain, and spreading uphill toward homes along nearby ridgelines.

Redlands city spokesman Carl Baker said as many as 50 residences were threatened. Residents on Live Oak Canyon Road, as well those living on Sunset Drive and Puesta Del Sol, were ordered to evacuate, he said.

Ground crews from Cal Fire and the Redlands Fire Department were working to extinguish the blaze. They were focusing on defending structures and creating barriers between flames and occupied areas, Milloy said.

“It’s too dark to do any airdrops,” Milloy said. “There are power lines and other possible hazards that they just can’t see this late at night.”

Live Oak Canyon Road was shut down as crews battled the fire.

The fire broke out while a fire weather watch was issued for the area by the National Weather Service. Temperatures soared into the high 90s and low 100s in the Inland Empire on Wednesday and were expected to remain 10 to 12 degrees warmer than average for most of the week.

The NWS fire weather watch advisory says it’s effective from 3 a.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Friday, when wind gusts could hit 45 mph amid hot weather and low humidity conditions. It applies to the mountains and coastal slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains, the Santa Ana Mountains, and areas of the Inland Empire below the Cajon Pass.

REDLANDS, CA - Firefighters battled a brush fire in the foothills of southern Redlands that prompted mandatory evacuations late Wednesday, Oct. 14.

The Bruder fire was reported at about 8:52 p.m. north of Live Oak Canyon Road, between San Timoteo Canyon Road and the 10 Freeway, Cal Fire San Bernardino Capt. Bennet Milloy said. It had consumed between 15 and 20 acres by 10:32 p.m., and had the potential to grow to 200 or 300 acres. By about 11:45 p.m. the fire had grown to 60 acres with 0% containment, Cal Fire said.

Winds moving between 3 and 5 miles per hour were driving the fire west, Milloy said. It was burning through vegetation in a remote area with difficult terrain, and spreading uphill toward homes along nearby ridgelines.

Redlands city spokesman Carl Baker said as many as 50 residences were threatened. Residents on Live Oak Canyon Road, as well those living on Sunset Drive and Puesta Del Sol, were ordered to evacuate, he said.

Ground crews from Cal Fire and the Redlands Fire Department were working to extinguish the blaze. They were focusing on defending structures and creating barriers between flames and occupied areas, Milloy said.

“It’s too dark to do any air drops,” Milloy said. “There are power lines and other possible hazards that they just can’t see this late at night.”

Live Oak Canyon Road was shut down as crews battled the fire.

The fire broke out while a fire weather watch was issued for the area by the National Weather Service. Temperatures soared into the high 90s and low 100s in the Inland Empire on Wednesday and were expected to remain 10 to 12 degrees warmer than average for most of the week.

The NWS fire weather watch advisory says it’s effective from 3 a.m. Friday to 6 p.m. Friday, when wind gusts could hit 45 mph amid hot weather and low humidity conditions. It applies to the mountains and coastal slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains, the Santa Ana Mountains and areas of the Inland Empire below the Cajon Pass.