California’s largest wildfire now at 54,000 acres, destroys homes

A firefighter douses flames in the perimeter of a property while battling the Bridge Fire Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024, in Wrightwood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

SAN GABRIEL CANYON – Firefighters continued battling the Bridge Fire Sunday, which had burned 54,567 acres in northeast Los Angeles County and neighboring San Bernardino County and was 9 percent contained.

The fire has destroyed 49 residential, commercial and other structures and was threatening another 12,168 structures, according to Cal Fire.

In Los Angeles County, an evacuation order was in effect for the East Fork communities, including Camp Williams Resort and the nearby River Community.

In San Bernardino County, the entire community of Wrightwood, all residents north of the San Antonio Dam up to the Mt. Baldy Resort along Mt. Baldy Road and the area from Highway 138 south to the northern border of San Antonio Heights, extending north to the Wrightwood evacuation zones and east to Cucamonga Peak, were under an evacuation order.

Evacuation warnings were also in effect in several areas of both counties.

“Last night, firefighters continued establishing and strengthening direct containment lines while constructing secondary contingency lines with dozers and hand crews throughout the fire area,” Cal Fire said in an early Sunday afternoon update.

“Helicopters could not fly last night due to the smoke inversion layer hampering visibility. Despite this, firefighters gained 4 percent containment on the fire’s southern flank.

“Along Highway 2 and other roads in Wrightwood, a significant amount of fallen trees present a hazard and firefighters must take the time to fall and remove them. The northwest flank of the fire has been active and the highest priority, where fire is backing down to Big Pines Road and infrastructure near Forest Service campgrounds. Firefighters plan to continue securing containment lines while working to clear hazards to protect the communities of Wrightwood, Pinon Hills, and beyond.

“… The east side of the fire is less active, however still presenting risks to residents in the Mt. Baldy area so evacuation orders remain in effect. … On the south side, firefighters are holding their containment line as fire behavior is moderating in this area. To the west in the rugged and steep terrain of the Sheep Mountain Wilderness, firefighters will continue constructing dozer and hand lines where gains can be made, while aircraft assists them with extinguishing hotspots, especially near Rattlesnake Peak.”

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 forecast for this 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 around 2:12 p.m. on 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 centers were open at the following locations:

— Pomona Fairplex: 601 W McKinley Ave., Pomona (Enter Gate 3, corner of McKinley and White);
— San Bernardino County Fairgrounds: 14800 Seventh St., Victorville;
— Jessie Turner Center, 15556 Summit Ave., in Fontana;
–Fountain of Living Waters Church, 10120 Johnson Road, Phelan.

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 2,625 personnel were involved in the firefight, including 50 crews, 203 engines, 21 dozers, seven water tenders and 13 helicopters.

Two injuries were reported in the fire.

The fire was being battled in a unified command consisting of Cal Fire San Bernardino, the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino County Fire Department and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The Bridge Fire was one of three large wildfires burning in Southern California this weekend. The Line Fire had burned 38,603 acres and was 36 percent contained in San Bernardino County as of Sunday afternoon, while the Airport Fire in Riverside and Orange counties had burned 23,519 acres and was at 19 percent 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. (CNS)

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