Nearly 2,000 firefighters and support personnel were battling a 25–square-mile wildfire in California's San Bernardino National Forest on Sunday, officials said, and high temperatures and westerly winds were expected to push smoke from the blaze east toward residents.
In an update Sunday evening, 500 structures were listed as "threatened," though none had been burned, no evacuation orders had been issued and the fire's "overall growth" had slowed.
The cause of the blaze, which began Wednesday afternoon, remained under investigation and was 19 percent contained.
The fire was dropping ash and hurting air quality in Joshua Tree National Park, NBC Los Angeles reported, and dramatic images of the blaze were captured by fire crews earlier this week.