Wildfire destroys homes, sends residents fleeing in Southern California's San Bernardino

A fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes and forced evacuations in the Southern California city of San Bernardino on Monday.

The Edgehill Fire started on Little Mountain in San Bernardino around 2:40 p.m. local time and had burned about 100 acres by 4:53 p.m., according to KTLA-TV. The station was airing live as homes burned and footage showed them being engulfed by flames.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department issued evacuation orders for homes on the south side of the mountain, which is about an hour east of Los Angeles.

"Little Mountain is a community that is not unaccustomed to fire,” fire department spokesperson Eric Sherwin told KTLA. “The residents here are aware of fire and the threat that exists in this community. As engines were pulling up, people were already evacuating out of this area.”

Temperatures in San Bernadino hit a high of 109 F and is expected to remain above 100 degrees until after 7 p.m., according to Accuweather. The area is under an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service until Tuesday night.

An investigation into the cause of the fire has been started.

The Edgehill fire is the latest wildfire to spark in the western half of the country.

The Park Fire continues to burn in northern California, becoming the fourth largest fire in the state's history. The fire was 34% contained as of Monday morning and has singed over 400,000 acres and destroyed 640 structures, the Redding Record Searchlight — a part of the USA TODAY Network — reported.

Over 30 major fires are also burning in the Pacific Northwest. Fires near Durkee, Oregon have burned about 460,000 acres and the Pioneer Fire in Washington has burned for just under two months.

The fires in Oregon have put over 9,000 people under an evacuation warning Monday, with 1,747 under a level three notice that advises residents to leave the area immediately, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

This is a developing story

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfire destroys homes, sends residents fleeing in Southern California's San Bernardino