A massive , fast-moving wildfire in Southern California has forced residents of 300 homes to flee their homes in the middle of the night . The raging blaze , reported shortly after 6pm Saturday , was sparked by a cooking stove . The fire along the border of cities Norco and Corona , 35 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles , resulted in hundreds of people to being told to evacuate the are area over the weekend . By midday , Sunday , fire officials said they had contained 35 percent of the fire , which had ravaged the area and grown to 1.6 square miles . Scroll down for video . Engulfed : Smoke and flames loom over the Prado Dam Flood Control Basin behind homes on Cheyenne Road in Corona , California . Damage : The fire threatened hundreds of homes near the Southern California dam . Rescue efforts were helped by cooperative weather combined with hundreds of firefighters who beat back the flames Sunday . Captain Mike Mohler of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fire burned in the Prado Dam Flood Control Basin , where vegetation has not burned in decades . As a result , the area that is burning has up to 3 feet of 'duff ' — needles , leaves and other combustible plant debris . 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 . But the evacuation orders were lifted just before dawn Sunday . CalFire Captain Liz Brown confirmed that about 500 firefighters worked on the front lines . They were backed up by two helicopters , though fixed-wing aircraft were not being used . And despite the ferocity of the fire , no property damage or injuries were reported . Fire : The brush fire that broke out on Saturday evening , April 18 , 2015 is seen here as it burns in the Dam Prado Dam Flood Control Basin north of the city of Corona , California . Fire officials said some trees caught fire in the forested basin and grew to at least 75 acres . Firefighters were hampered by rough terrain in the area .
The fire was reported shortly after 6 pm Saturday in Norco and elsewhere . At least 300 homes had to be evacuated as the fire took hold in the area . Rescue efforts were helped by cooperative efforts throughout the region . Fire reports confirmed no serious deaths or injuries were reported .