Wind-fueled brush fire briefly threatens homes in San Bernardino County

Some San Bernardino County homes were threatened by a fast-moving fire on Tuesday before firefighters were able to gain the upper hand. 

The fire, dubbed the Johnson Fire, broke out in Phelan near the intersection of Johnson Road and Snow Line Drive at around 6 p.m., according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. 

Firefighters arrived to find that five acres of brush had burned and was heading into the foothills south of Mesquite Street towards the desert floor. They say that the rate of spread was being fueled by "typical afternoon wind."

They immediately began to provide structure defense to the nearby homes in the area, using water-dropping aircraft to assist in the fight. 

"Due to a concerted effort by ground crews supported by aircraft, the forward rate of spread was stopped at 7:30 p.m.," SBCFD said. 

At the latest, the fire is said to have consumed 72 acres and is 10% contained. 

While the threat to structures has been mitigated and no homes damaged, firefighters say that evacuation orders previously issued remain in place. Those areas include 

No injuries have been reported. 

Snow Line Drive between Johnson Road and Valle Vista Road and Johnson Road between Snow Line Drive and Mesquite Street will be closed as crews remain in the area overnight to extinguish any flareups.