Tesla rollover crash sparked Chino Hills fire that forced people from their homes, officials say

A fire that ignited Wednesday evening in Chino Hills was caused by a Tesla that crashed and rolled over, sparking nearby dry brush, authorities reported Thursday. The Grand fire in western San Bernardino County grew to 30 acres and spurred evacuations but was 50% contained as of Thursday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. Roughly 75 firefighting personnel and seven engines were assigned to the blaze, while air tankers have operated fire suppression missions. The Tesla crashed in an area of dry grass and weeds, as seen in images provided by the Chino Valley Fire Department. Authorities have not released information about a driver or passengers in the Tesla. The vegetation fire sparked near Grand Avenue Park around 7 p.m. Wednesday, between the cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar and near the Los Angeles and San Bernardino county line. Evacuation orders were issued around 8 p.m. as structures on Mill Stream Drive, Falling Star Lane, Valley View Lane and Sweet Grass Lane were threatened. The orders were lifted late Wednesday as crews made progress amid cooler nighttime temperatures and higher humidity, fire officials said. One firefighter suffered a minor injury in the blaze and was taken to a hospital, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The firefighter's condition was unknown as of Thursday afternoon. Chino Valley Fire reported shortly before 8 p.m. that the blaze had the potential to spread to 200 acres. Ground crews and water-dropping helicopters worked to get a handle on the fire. By 9:30 p.m., officials reported that the fire was holding at 30 acres, and around 10 p.m., all evacuation orders and warnings had been lifted. Grand Avenue between Grand Avenue Park and the city limit remained closed as of Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service warned Wednesday that moderate to locally strong winds and low humidity would elevate the risk of fire in inland areas of L.A. County this week. Chino Hills is just to the east of the L.A. County border. The highest risk of fire weather is forecasted for Saturday and Sunday, when winds of 15 to 30 mph are expected, with isolated gusts up to 50 mph.