Banning blaze 65 percent contained
Firefighters battling a nearly 3,000-acre blaze nearBanning again will be contending today with gusty winds, low humidity and bone-dry vegetation, but they have made progress encircling the blaze, which fireofficials say is now 65 percent contained.
The Summit Fire has scorched 2,956 acres, according to Jody Hagemann ofthe Riverside County Fire Department. The acreage did not increase betweenWednesday night and this morning, but there was no estimate of when fullcontainment might be achieved.
East winds of between 20 and 25 miles per hour gusting as high as 40 mphand a high temperature of 88 degrees were forecast for Banning today. Lowrelative humidity in the single digits or teens was expected through Saturdayor Sunday, and a red flag warning was scheduled to remain in effect until 6p.m. today, according to the National Weather Service.
About 400 firefighters were on the fire lines, Hagemann said. They camefrom several agencies and municipal districts in Southern California, includingRiverside County, Cal Fire, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, the Morongo Band ofMission Indians and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency Thursday authorized use offederal funds to help combat the fire. The authorization makes FEMA fundingavailable to reimburse 75 percent of the eligible firefighting costs.
The blaze broke out near North San Gorgonio Avenue and Summit Driveabout 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, spread quickly through medium brush, destroyed ahouse at 43425 Mesa St., northwest of Banning, and left two firefighters withminor injuries, fire officials said.
An evacuation center was opened at the Banning Community ServicesCenter, 789 N. San Gorgonio Ave. Wednesday. But evacuation orders for the 200-unit Highland Springs Mobile Home Park were rescinded late Wednesday.
An evacuation center for small animals affected by the fire was openedat San Jacinto Valley Animal Services, 581 S. Grand Ave. and a center for largeanimals at Noble Creek Park, 390 Oak Valley Parkway in Beaumont.
