Firefighters battle blaze in Southern California forest

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters on the ground and in the air are battling a wildfire in Southern California’s Cleveland National Forest. The fire reported around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday in the Holy Jim Trail area quickly consumed 500 acres of brush along steep slopes. Air tankers and helicopters dropped water and retardant on the blaze, dubbed the Jim Fire. The fire sent up a huge plume of smoke visible across Orange County and beyond. No structures are threatened. The cause is under investigation.