California wildfire engulfs homes with thousands evacuated as 200 firefighters battle blaze

A huge wildfire has seen homes burnt to the ground in Southern California's Inland Empire.

The blaze began as a vegetation fire in the Little Mountain Drive area on Monday afternoon before rapidly spreading to nearby homes as thousands were evacuated, the San Bernadino County Fire Department said. The 'Edgehill Fire' has engulfed a number of homes, cars, trailers and other buildings.

It was initially reported the fire had burned five acres, but was spreading rapidly across dry brush and scorching temperatures , growing to a huge 54 acres. On Monday evening, fire officials said containment was estimated at 25% with forward progress stopped.

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At least half a dozen homes were on fire, with others in dangerous close proximity. Marshall Elementary School at 3288 North G Street is open for those impacted by the fire. San Bernardino police said one person was detained in connection with the blaze, reports abc7.

San Bernardino County fire spokesman Eric Sherwin said about 200 firefighters, 40 engines and three hand crews were involved in battling the blaze, with help from Riverside city and CalFire.

The fire department said: "At this point in the investigation, one person has been detained. The investigation is still ongoing."

It wasn't clear if the individual was suspected of starting the fire or whether they might face criminal charges. Last week California's Park Fire became one of the state's largest wildfires as it's grown to more than 383,000 acres.

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Officials have confirmed the fire was California's fifth-largest wildfire in history . A burning car was said to have started the fire after it was pushed into a Northern California gully .

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has reported the Park Fire had grown to 385,064 acres as of Tuesday, with 14% containment. It's now grown to almost half the size of Rhode Island and is more than 12 times bigger than San Francisco.