S. California fire gobbles more than 200 homes

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — A wildfire leaped through dense housing tracts in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains on Saturday, destroying more than 200 homes, threatening 1,000 others and forcing thousands of people to flee under a sky thick with smoke and tinged orange-red by flames.

The fire, which erupted around 9 a.m. about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, was propelled by fierce Santa Ana winds as it devoured 10,000 acres of chaparral within hours, spreading to a 12-mile front. The blaze and an even larger wildfire nearby that burned at least 10 homes Saturday closed highways, cut off power to thousands and choked the region with heavy smoke and flaming ash.

The fires were among several major blazes in Southern California, fueled by high winds, low humidity and temperatures that climbed into the 90s.

A new fire broke out Saturday night just west of Crestline, near the San Bernardino fire. An evacuation was ordered at 7 p.m., affecting hundreds of residents, said Stanton Florea, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman.

The cause of the San Bernardino fire was unknown and no injuries were reported, but more than 200 homes were destroyed by Saturday night, said Robin Renteria, a San Bernardino National Forest spokeswoman.

The fire moved erratically, burning down one house, then skipping two before snaring another. In some cases back yards burned and houses were unscathed, or burned only partially. Firefighting helicopters flew low to drop water on houses until they were grounded as winds gusted to 40 mph.

Evacuations were ordered for thousands in San Bernardino and Crestline, but many residents refused to leave and tried to fight the fire with garden hoses.

Robert Wilkes, 50, had red, irritated eyes from the ash as he tried to save his home and those of his neighbors. The fire jumped from palm tree to palm tree, igniting a house across the street from Wilkes. He blasted it with a garden hose, but turned around when the fire spread to a home next to his.

"He saved our house," said neighbor Dwane Caddell. Much of the rest of his property was damaged, however: His swimming pool was black with debris and singed palm trees and shrubbery surrounded the house.

San Bernardino police officer Frank Mankin said three people were arrested for looting homes that had been evacuated.