An inch of rain fell early Sunday on Mount San Jacinto, helping turn the tide on the Mountain Fire, so much so that crews now say they’ll completely surround the fire by Wednesday. The fire crews increased their containment from 49 percent up to 68 percent late Sunday. The fire’s size remained stable at a little more than 27,000 acres, or 42 square miles. Five firefighters have had minor injuries, though details were not available late Sunday. Hazards remain in burned areas due to flash flooding and mudslides. Firefighters and Resource Specialists are currently evaluating the burned areas, to determine the extent of damage to the forest. All evacuation orders have been lifted. Total cost of fire suppression to date is $20.1 million and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation. More fire information is available at a link in this story at http://inciweb.org/incident/3516.
