A wildfire in Southern California’s Cleveland National Forest was 15% contained early Thursday, and rain was in the forecast after a spell of dry, summerlike heat.
The Jim Fire had charred 553 acres (224 hectares) of chaparral and brush on the steep slopes of the Santa Ana Mountains northeast of the Orange County community of Rancho Santa Margarita. No structures were threatened.
The fire erupted late Wednesday morning in Holy Jim Canyon and U.S. Forest Service firefighters responded, assisted by the Orange County Fire Authority and Cal Fire.
The fire’s growth slowed later in the day and little fire activity was observed overnight by firefighters patrolling the perimeter and constructing containment lines, according to the Forest Service.
Crews planned to continue increasing containment, with helicopters available to drop water on hotspots and air tankers on standby.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Showers were predicted to spread across Southern California late Thursday and into Friday morning and again Saturday.
