Evacuations Lifted In SoCal Fire

HESPERIA, Calif. (AP) -- Residents are returning to their homes as crews continue to make good progress against a wildfire that erupted on the main interstate between Southern California and Las Vegas.

U.S. Forest Service spokesman John Miller says all remaining evacuation orders were lifted Saturday afternoon. Some 1,500 homes were evacuated after the blaze broke out Friday on the center divider of Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass.

The fire quickly grew to 1,100 acres, or nearly 2 square miles, jumping the freeway and burning chaparral in rolling hills that form the nearby San Bernardino National Forest and rural areas of San Bernardino County.

All freeway lanes were closed for hours, snarling traffic as drivers struggled to start their Labor Day weekend getaways.

The fire is 60 percent contained. Miller says full containment is expected Sunday evening.

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