Cooperative weather and the efforts of hundreds of firefighters helped beat back flames Sunday that had threatened hundreds of homes near a Southern California dam . Evacuation orders were lifted just before dawn for about 300 homes in an area along the border of the cities of Norco and Corona , about 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles . By midday , fire officials said they had contained 25 per cent of the fire , which had grown to 1.5 square miles . Flames burn just after nightfall in the Prado Dam Flood Control Basin adjacent to homes , foreground , as seen from Corona , Calif. Cooler overnight temperatures and low winds allowed fire crews to attack the blaze , increasing containment from 15 per cent , though on-the-ground conditions did not make that fight easy . The fire burned in the Prado Dam Flood Control Basin , where vegetation has not burned in decades , according to Capt . Mike Mohler of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection . As a result , the area that is burning has up to 3 feet of 'duff ' - needles , leaves and other combustible plant debris . Cooperative weather and the efforts of firefighters helped beat back flames Sunday that had threatened hundreds of homes near the Southern California dam . At the same time , California 's drought means the basin has not held much water recently , Mohler said . Because the smoke was not blowing away , area residents were urged to stay indoors . The fire was reported shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday . Evacuation orders were lifted just before dawn for about 300 homes in an area along the border of the cities of Norco and Corona , about 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles . On Sunday , about 500 firefighters were working the front lines , according to CalFire Capt . Liz Brown . So were two helicopters , though fixed-wing aircraft were not being used , she said . No property damage or injuries were reported , and the cause of the blaze was under investigation .
Evacuation orders were lifted just before dawn for about 300 homes in an area along the border of the cities of Norco and Corona . Officials said about 25 per cent of the flames were contained by middway . Cooler overnight temperatures and low winds allowed fire crews to attack the blaze , though on-the-ground conditions did not make that fight easy .