Authorities in southern California have ordered the evacuation of 82,000 people after a wildfire broke out in a mountain pass in San Bernardino county. 700 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze that engulfed 9,000 acres and destroyed an unknown number of houses.

The fire erupted just west of Interstate 15, the main freeway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, forcing the closure of one stretch of the road. Officials say they are still investigating the cause of the blaze.

California has declared a state of emergency in the county. The blaze is the latest in a series of wildfires that have swept through nearly 300-thousand acres of land in the drought-parched West.