Prado Dam Fire, The person whose unattended cooking fire sparked the 1,020-acre fire west of Corona and Norco could face charges -- if officials ever identify the culprit.
However, officials aren't sure whether the blaze was started by a backpacker, a transient or someone else.
"There were no witnesses so we don't know who started it," said Cal Fire Capt. Liz Brown."The only thing we have to go on is: there was a cooking fire very close to the origin of the fire.
"The problem is: People are not supposed to be in that area."
And the other problem is that the terrain is so soft and muddy that it's apt to take weeks to full extinguish the blaze, she said.
Crews had dug containment lines around 55 percent of the perimeter by nightfall Monday.
The trees and brush are dry enough to burn, but the ground is muddy and slippery, making navigation difficult for fire crews, Brown said.
"It's been slow-and-go," she said.
Even bulldozers and four-wheel-drive vehicles find it tough going, Brown said.
So handcrews likely will stay busy there for many weeks, she emphasized.
"The reason we can't just...wrap it up is because inside that basin is about three feet of duff," she said, refering to the deep layer of ground litter that consists of leaves, twigs and other plant debris.
"It's like a jungle," she said.
The most active part of the fire Monday morning was at the south end of the burn area, Cal Fire Engineer Jovan Lozano said.
The air quality Monday was better than Sunday thanks to improved weather conditions and increasing control of the fire, but there continues to be low-lying smoke in the region, South Coast Air Quality Management District officials said in a news release.
"There were no witnesses so we don't know who started it," said Cal Fire Capt. Liz Brown."The only thing we have to go on is: there was a cooking fire very close to the origin of the fire.
"The problem is: People are not supposed to be in that area."
And the other problem is that the terrain is so soft and muddy that it's apt to take weeks to full extinguish the blaze, she said.
Crews had dug containment lines around 55 percent of the perimeter by nightfall Monday.
The trees and brush are dry enough to burn, but the ground is muddy and slippery, making navigation difficult for fire crews, Brown said.
"It's been slow-and-go," she said.
Even bulldozers and four-wheel-drive vehicles find it tough going, Brown said.
So handcrews likely will stay busy there for many weeks, she emphasized.
"The reason we can't just...wrap it up is because inside that basin is about three feet of duff," she said, refering to the deep layer of ground litter that consists of leaves, twigs and other plant debris.
"It's like a jungle," she said.
The most active part of the fire Monday morning was at the south end of the burn area, Cal Fire Engineer Jovan Lozano said.
The air quality Monday was better than Sunday thanks to improved weather conditions and increasing control of the fire, but there continues to be low-lying smoke in the region, South Coast Air Quality Management District officials said in a news release.
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