72 Fire Still Burning in Thermal, Now Half Contained

Crews are still working Monday morning to fully contain the "72 Fire," an 80-acre brush fire that broke out Sunday afternoon in Thermal.

The fire started around 3 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Avenue 72 and Buchanan Street, according to CAL FIRE. As of early Monday morning, it is 50% contained, with firefighters remaining on scene through the night to push toward full containment.

The blaze briefly forced the complete closure of Highway 86 near 66th Avenue, with California Highway Patrol this morning saying only the #2 lane heading North remains closed.

No injuries or property damage have been reported, and the cause remains under investigation.