6000 Residents, Visitors Evacuated Amid Wildfire in California Mountains

3000 firefighters working on a blaze in the San Jacinto mountains

Thousands of residents have fled their homes in the San Jacinto Mountains as a wildfire that grew to 35 square miles early Thursday continues to burn under tinderbox conditions.

On Wednesday, the fire outgunned nearly 3,000 firefighters and prompted the evacuation of about 6,000 residents and visitors in Idyllwild, Fern Valley and nearby wilderness areas including Mount San Jacinto State Park during what usually is a busy summer tourist season. About 2,200 homes were evacuated and 4,100 residences including hotels, condominiums and cabins were threatened, Forest Service spokeswoman Melody Lardner said.