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3 Homes Destroyed When Wind-Whipped Fire Rips Through Bloomington Neighborhood

FONTANA (CBSLA) – A fire broke out early Thursday morning amid powerful winds in the San Bernardino County community of Bloomington, destroying at least three homes.

At Least 2 Homes Destroyed When Wind-Whipped Wildfire Rips Through Bloomington Neighborhood
A fire burns in the San Bernardino County community of Bloomington, Calif. Feb. 25, 2021. (LLN)

The three-alarm fire was reported at 12:23 a.m. in the area of Tamarind and Santa Ana avenues.

According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department, crews arrived on scene to find one home with heavy flames, and the fire spreading towards nearby brush and homes.

At least three homes were destroyed, the fire department said, and two acres of vegetation burned.

The fire is believed to have been started by someone who was burning items in a barrel, which is an unpermitted burn, a SBCFD spokesperson said. Investigators suspect wind gusts picked up burning embers and spread them across the area.

It took 40 firefighters about 90 minutes to bring the blaze under control.

At Least 2 Homes Destroyed When Wind-Whipped Fire Rips Through Bloomington Neighborhood
A fire in the San Bernardino County community of Bloomington, Calif. Feb. 25, 2021. (CBSLA)

Footage from the scene showed a man hosing down RV's in an effort to save a property.

Resident Juan Larisa told CBSLA he lost his chickens when the fire tore through his chicken coop, but was grateful no one was hurt.

"I don't feel right for my chickens. But what can I do? I can do nothing. But my family is important, and everybody's fine," Larisa said.

Crews contended with wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour, the fire department said. Firefighters were expected to remain on scene all day, mopping up and looking for hot spots.

There were no injuries. The cause is under investigation.

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