Firefighters are continuing to battle the Bridge Fire, which spread from San Gabriel Canyon above Glendora into San Bernardino County, has grown to 54,567 acres and continues to threaten 11,560 structures, but is now 9% contained, officials said Sunday.
To date, the fire has destroyed 19 structures, damaged six others and caused two injuries, according to Cal Fire.
“On Saturday, firefighters continued establishing and strengthening direct containment lines while also constructing secondary contingency lines with dozers and hand crews,” Cal Fire noted. “Several helicopters working the hottest areas helped firefighters make progress, and additionally responded late this afternoon in an assist for containing a new fire start in the Lytle Creek area.
“In the rugged and steep terrain of the Sheep Mountain Wilderness below Mount Baden-Powell, firefighters gained entry in three main locations to construct dozer line and hand lines while aircraft assisted them with extinguishing hotspots.”
The weather was expected to be mostly favorable in the coming days. High winds were expected in higher elevations with low temperatures at night. with warm temperatures and low humidity still around in lower desert areas. Two cold fronts were forecasted in the coming week, however.
Fire officials said humidity is still low in higher elevations, but in lower elevations, the marine layer and higher humidity were helping crews make “great progress in strengthening both primary and secondary containment lines in the southeast, south and southwest flanks of the fire, while also gaining depth in their mop-up operations.”
During a public meeting Saturday at Serrano High School in Phelan, the Incident Management Team told residents the areas burned by previous fires such as the 1997 Narrows Fire have helped slow the current fire. Residents were told evacuations would remain in place until the areas are safe.
The blaze began at 2:12 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8 near East Fork and Glendora Mountain roads, according to forest officials. The fire initially remained relatively small, but it exploded in size at the tail end of an extended heat wave on Tuesday, destroying dozens of structures as it marched into San Bernardino County.
It is the largest active fire in the state.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for:
— the entire community of Wrightwood;
— Highway 138 south to Lone Pine Canyon and Highway 2 east to Lone Pine Canyon Road;
— Lone Pine Canyon from the community of Wrightwood to Highway 138/Lone Pine Canyon Road south to the forest;
— East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort (cafe, mobile home park, campground) and River Community (near the resort); and
— Mt. Baldy Road, North Mountain Avenue and Shinn Roads from San Antonio Heights to Wrightwood and east to Cucamonga Peak.
A mandatory evacuation order that had been in place in the area of Highway 18 south to Highway 138 and Beekley Road west to the Los Angeles County line was downgraded to a warning.
Evacuation warnings were in effect for the general areas of:
— Phelan from Highway 138 east to Baldy Mesa Road and Phelan Road south to Sayle Road;
— San Antonio Heights and Upland from the foothills south to 23rd Street;
— Pinon Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 138 and Lebec Road west to Los Angeles County.
Evacuation warnings were lifted Friday in the communities of Baldwin Lake and Lake Williams from Highway 38 north to Highway 18 and Baldwin Lake East, and in the area of Phelan Road south to Forest Route 3N24 and Baldy Mesa Road west to Tumbleweed Road.
Evacuation centers were established at the following locations:
— Pomona Fairplex: 601 W McKinley Ave., Pomona (Enter Gate 3, corner of McKinley and White);
— Hacienda Heights Community Center, 1234 Valencia Ave.;
— San Bernardino County Fairgrounds: 14800 Seventh St., Victorville;
— Jessie Turner Center, 15556 Summit Ave., in Fontana.
Animal evacuation centers are at:
— Palmdale Animal Care Center (small animals): 38550 Sierra Highway, Palmdale;
— Lancaster Animal Care Center (small animals): 5210 W. Ave. I, Lancaster;
— Antelope Valley Fairgrounds (large animals): 2551 W. Ave. H, Lancaster (call 562-706-8581 prior to arrival);
— Devore Animal Shelter (pets/livestock): 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino (call 909-386-9820, or after hours 800-472-5609).
Road closures were in effect at the following locations:
— SR-138 from Lone Pine Canyon Road to Beekley Road;
— SR-2 closed from Big Pines to SR-138;
— Big Pines Highway;
— Big Rock Creek Road;
— San Gabriel Canyon and East Fork of the San Gabriel River;
— Highway 39;
— East Fork Road;
— Glendora Ridge Road;
— Glendora Mountain Road; and
— Mount Baldy Road at Shinn Road intersection.
Some 2,453 personnel were involved in the firefight, including 50 crews, 203 engines, 21 dozers, seven water tenders and 13 helicopters.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna Wednesday said an off-duty sheriff’s deputy and two people with him in the fire zone were trapped by the flames near the Mount Baldy area. He said they were not injured and all three people were safely evacuated about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and treated for minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Although the flames advanced on Mountain High Ski Resort, officials at the popular destination posted on social media Wednesday that “all the main lifts and buildings survived with little to no damage.”
The Bridge Fire was one of three large wildfires burning in Southern California this weekend. The Line Fire had burned 38,417 acres and was 29% contained in San Bernardino County as of Sunday morning, while the Airport Fire in Riverside and Orange counties had burned 23,519 acres and was at 19% containment.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended an air quality advisory until at least 11 p.m. Sunday for most of the region due to smoke from all three major wildfires.
The cause of the Bridge Fire has not been determined.