Firefighters continue to push fire away from Highway 18

Firefighters are pushing for more containment lines focusing along Highway 18 and the northeast side of the fire.

"Today could be a different ballgame," said Lee Bentley, a member of the Callifornia Interagency Management Team.

The goal is to back the fire about 100 feet away from containment lines, officials said.

About 20,000 gallons of water is expected to be dropped on the northside of the blaze, on a steep mountain that drops down into Lucerne Valley.

"It's a steep, rocky terrain and some areas are not accessible for hand crews," said Beth Goodman, a fire expert with the National Park Service.

-- Stacia Glenn