Line Fire flares in San Bernardino County, containment drops

As two of the three wildfires burning since last month in Southern California near full containment, the Line Fire in San Bernardino County flared up last weekend and on Friday was 79% contained.

The Line Fire has burned 43,925 acres, and on Sunday it suddenly threatened Seven Oaks, Angelus Oaks and the Big Bear Valley. The fire began Sept. 5 near Baseline and Alpine streets in Highland and at that point had burned 39,299 acres and was 83% contained when the blaze reached newly dried brush that served as fuel, according to county officials. The Line Fire gained ground in the Bear Creek drainage area and burned an additional 1,000 acres in 24 hours.

By Wednesday morning, the burned area grew to 43,890 acres and containment reduced to 79%.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department rejoined the unified firefighting command that consists of Complex California Incident Management Team 11, the San Bernardino National Forest and Cal Fire San Bernardino.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department issued evacuation orders for Seven Oaks and Angelus Oaks and evacuation warnings for the Boulder Bay area of Big Bear, from the dam east to Wildrose Lane, and the entire community of Big Bear Lake.

The American Red Cross, with help from several county agencies, opened evacuation shelters for affected residents and their pets at Redlands East Valley High School, 31000 E. Colton Ave., and the Apple Valley Conference Center at 14975 Dale Evans Parkway. Teams from the county’s Behavioral Health, Aging and Adult Services, Homeless Services and Animal Care departments were at the evacuation shelters to assist residents.

Up-to-date information on the fire and resources for residents can be found on the county’s Line Fire webpage, prepare.sbcounty.gov/line-fire. Help is also available by calling 211.

In a statement Friday, Cal Fire reported that on Tuesday night “firefighters made great progress on the Line Fire overcoming high heat and steep terrain to keep the fire in its current footprint. Night flying helicopters are being utilized to extinguish heat both along the fire perimeter as well as extinguishing burning fuels in the interior.”

Through the end of the week, crews will continue to monitor and patrol along the Highway 330 corridor on the fire’s western side, officials said.

“Fire crews have been inserted to go direct along the fire’s edge with the assistance of water dropping helicopters along Siberia Creek,” according to Cal Fire. “On the eastern flank of the fire, firefighters will continue to mop up, strengthen and improve containment lines.”

On Friday over 2,100 firefighting personnel were battling the blaze, Cal Fire reported. The Line Fire has destroyed four structures, damaged one and has injured five firefighters.

The fire was the result of arson, authorities said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to free up resources to help fight the fire and aid recovery efforts.

For up-to-date information and resources on the 54,878-acre Bridge Fire that has affected San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, visit prepare.sbcounty.gov/bridge-fire. The Bridge Fire was 98% contained Friday.

The 23,526-acre Airport Fire in Riverside and Orange counties was 97% contained on Friday.

Recovery efforts assist seniors

The San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services — Public Guardian is part of the response to the Line and Bridge fires.

Since Sept. 5, more than 150 agency staff members dedicated over 1,000 hours and initiated hundreds of safety calls to help older adults and individuals with disabilities, including those who are homebound or suffering from dementia-related illnesses, in fire-affected areas, county officials said. Assistance ranged from providing personal supplies and medications to emergency shelter.

On Sept. 18, the county established three “local assistance centers,” which are hubs to connect with county services for residents who are displaced and impacted by the brush fires, according to a county statement. DAAS-PG staff did assessments, provided behavioral health and wellness services and helped residents get food and gas cards, generating dozens of new cases for the department.