By Jose Serrano (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Jul 18, 2015 06:28 PM EDT
Tags California Wildfire, Southern California Wildfire, wildfire, North fire, Pines fire, Washington fire, Lake fire, Los Angeles wildfire, Los Angeles fire, wildfire update, California wildfire update, California wildfire map, wildfire map

Thunderstorms hit Southern California Saturday morning, bringing much needed moisture to drought-stricken areas engulfed by growing wildfires.

While temperatures hit the mid-80s in Los Angeles and Orange counties, mountain areas - which are battling North and Pines fires - expected to see temps in the mid-70s along with a 30 percent chance of rain.

Rain was a welcomed surprise for the San Bernardino National Forest, having just contained the 31,000-acre Lake Fire.

North Fire

A 40-mph wind-assisted wildfire swept into the Cajon Pass along Interstate 15 Friday, charring 64 cars and sending numerous people running for their lives.

By Saturday morning, the 3,500-acre North fire - still only 5 percent contained - slightly tapered off thanks to scattered showers in the area. All but one lane on I-15 are now open.

"Rain itself is good," Carol Underhill of the U.S. Forest Service told the L.A. Times. "However, with thunderstorms also comes wind and lightning strikes and those are not so good."

The fire erupted just before rush hour and quickly shut down the freeway in both directions. People were temporarily trapped amid the smoke and ash as flames traveled uphill. The fire destroyed 20 vehicles and 44 more in the small community of Baldy Mesa.

What initially sparked the fire is unknown and remains under investigation.

Pines Fire

Meanwhile, about 20 miles northwest of the Cajon Pass, the Pines fire has already burned 125 acres along mountain community of Wrightwood. While pocket of rain helped firefighters, several lightning strikes stopped their efforts and prompted hasty evacuations of several campers, including about 90 Girl Scouts.

"We were fortunate that we already had the evacuations center already set up here from the North Fire, so it was very easy to transition those children with as little impact as possible," Eric Sherwin of the San Bernardino Fire Department said in a press release.

The Pines fire is only 10 percent contained as of Saturday afternoon.

View the Google map below for information on the San Bernardino blazes, as well as contained fires near Lake Tahoe and Big Bear.

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