Homes evacuated as Southern California wildfire grows

Thousands of people were under evacuation orders Sunday after a wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles exploded in size as crews battled the flames in triple-digit heat.

The blaze straddling Riverside and San Bernardino counties consumed more than 23 square miles (about 60 square kilometers) of dry brush and timber, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

There was zero containment early Sunday. The cause is under investigation.

The blaze began as two adjacent fires reported Friday evening in Cherry Valley, an unincorporated area near the city of Beaumont about 85 miles (137 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles.