Meagan Greene / AP
This July 17, 2013 image provided by Meagan Greene shows wildfire smoke near Idyllwild, Calif. Area thunderstorms this weekend may be a mixed blessing for firefighters battling the blaze.
By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News
Possible weekend thunderstorms could be a mixed blessing for fire crews battling a massive blaze in Southern California.
Officials said rain would help in the fight against the 27,000-acre wildfire and help bring down temperatures that have neared the triple digits. But a thunderstorm could also make the fire that has threatened the mountain resort of Idyllwild, Cali. even more unpredictable.
?[Thunderstorms] could produce strong down draft winds which could cause erratic fire behavior and unpredictable fire spread direction.? Edwin Simpson, spokesman for Cal Fire told NBC Los Angeles.
Crews have been battling the so-called Mountain Fire in California for six days and have the flames 25 percent contained, making major progress in the past 24 hours. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
Crews have been battling the so-called Mountain Fire for six days and have the flames 25 percent contained, making major progress in the past 24 hours, NBC Los Angeles reports. Still, many area residents remain evacuated and the blaze continues to grow.
Late Friday, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency while filling in for vacationing Gov. Jerry Brown.
About 6,000 residents remained evacuated from Idyllwild for a fourth straight day, and nearly 700 more people were advised to evacuate by fire officials.
Seven homes have been destroyed along with dozens of other structures in the San Jacinto range. Officials say 5,600 homes remain under potential threat.
The blaze was less than two miles from Idyllwild and Palm Springs on Saturday.
?It?s hard to come back and see your stuff is no longer there,? Shanda Paul told NBC Los Angeles as she surveyed the charred remains of what was once her home.
Around 3,500 firefighters and 30 aircrafts are battling the flames in temperatures that have ranged from 75 degrees to 110.
Along with communities, the wildfire has shut down camp grounds and a 30-mile stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail.
?A fire of this magnitude can take weeks to reach full containment,? Chris Gaulding of the U.S. Forest Service told NBC Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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