Wildfire forces 100 homes evacuated in Sierra Madre, California

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) - A wildfire spread over 230 acres in Sierra Madre, California, Saturday, prompting a mandatory evacuation of at least 100 homes, a fire official said.

The winds were not strong, but their shifting direction helped the fire grow in this community in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, said Sierra Madre Fire Department spokesman James Carlson.

Fire officials expect it will take them two or three days to contain the flames, Carlson said.

Two shelters were opened for those forced from their homes, but it appeared most displaced residents found refuge with family or friends, he said.

Investigators don't know what started the fire, which began at about 3 p.m. Saturday, he said.

Sierra Madre is in Los Angeles County, about 13 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.