Bridge Fire grows to nearly 53,000 acres with 3% containment

Firefighters were working Saturday to contain the largest active blaze in California, the nearly 53,000-acre Bridge Fire that began in San Gabriel Canyon near Glendora and has scalded terrain and destroyed buildings in San Bernardino County.

About 11,560 structures are currently threatened, Cal Fire reported. The fire has destroyed 19 structures and damaged six.

LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday most of the destroyed buildings were in the Mount Baldy area, Wrightwood along with several cabins in wilderness areas.

The Bridge Fire began around 3 p.m. Sunday near East Fork and Glendora Mountain roads, the U.S. Forest Service reported. The blaze increased Tuesday from 4,100 to 49,008 acres and spread from Los Angeles County into San Bernardino County. By early Friday the fire was 51,884 acres with 3% containment, according to Cal Fire.

On Saturday, the fire grew to 52,960 acres with containment still at just 3%.

The initial report assessed the blaze at 75 acres, but it swelled to 820 acres by 7 a.m. Monday with 0% containment as a result of high winds and low humidity. By noon Monday, the fire had increased to 1,255 acres with containment still at 0%.

Thick brush propelled the wildfire into the San Bernardino County community of Wrightwood and the Mountain High Ski Resort.

“Today the Bridge Fire had minimal movement,” according to a Cal Fire statement Saturday morning. “Firefighters continued to mop-up hot spots, establish or strengthen containment lines along the entire perimeter of the fire where accessible to do so. Resources were focused on the northern area of the fire where air operations dropped water as needed along the fire line near the communities of Big Pines and Wrightwood.

“Although the fire is slowly backing downhill on the east side, firefighters are not letting their guard down in Icehouse Canyon where the rugged terrain still presents some challenges,” the statement continued. “Heat and active flames are also still present in the Mt. Baldy Village area, and crews continue to prioritize structure protection.”

Officials said a marine weather inversion helped firefighting efforts along the southern boundary, and favorable winds were also keeping the blaze’s western flank in its current footprint, where the steepest and most rugged wilderness terrain is.

LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that an off-duty sheriff’s deputy and two people with him were trapped by flames in the fire zone near the Mount Baldy area. They were not injured, but rescue teams were unable to lift them to safety due to heavy smoke, forcing the trio to wait for conditions to improve.

Those three individuals were safely evacuated from the area about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and treated for minor injuries, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

Although the blaze reached the Mountain High Ski Resort, a social media post Wednesday by resort officials said all the main lifts and buildings escaped the flames with little to no damage.

Evacuation orders were also in place for:

A mandatory evacuation order since Sunday evening is in effect for the East Fork areas of Camp Williams and the adjacent river community. An additional evacuation order was in place Tuesday for Mount Baldy Village from the San Antonio Dam to the Mount Baldy Resort.

As of Wednesday these communities were under evacuation orders: Piñon Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 18 and Beekley Road west to LA County; Lone Pine Canyon from Wrightwood to Highway 138 and Lone Pine Canyon Road south to the forest; and the entire community of Wrightwood.

Forest visitors were evacuated from the area, Angeles National Forest officials announced on X.

Evacuation orders were in place for:

• Wrightwood, the entire community;

• Highway 138 south to Lone Pine Canyon and Highway 2 east to Lone Pine Canyon Road;

• Piñon Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 18 and Beekley Road west to LA County;

• Lone Pine Canyon from Wrightwood to Highway 138/Lone Pine Canyon Road south to the forest;

• East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort — the cafe, mobile home park and campground — and the River Community near the resort;

• Mt. Baldy Road, all residents north of the San Antonio Dam up to the Mt. Baldy Resort; 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. Excluded from the order was the area of Lytle Creek from the shooting range west to the forest and Upper North Fork Road and Middle Fork Road.

Evacuation warnings were in effect for:

• 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; and

• Piñon Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 138 and Lebec Road west to LA County, excluding the Piñon Hills area of Highway 18 south to Highway 138 and Beekley Road west to the county line.

Road closures were in effect at the following locations:

• State Route 138 from Lone Pine Canyon Road to Beekley Road;

• SR-2 closed from Big Pines to SR-138;

• San Gabriel Canyon and the East Fork of the San Gabriel River;

• Highway 39;

• East Fork Road;

• Glendora Ridge Road;

• Glendora Mountain Road;

• Mt. Baldy Road at Shinn Road intersection;
• Big Pines Highway; and
• Big Rock Creek Road

Evacuation centers are at the Jesse Turner Center, 15556 Summit Ave., in Fontana; Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 2551 W Avenue H in Lancaster; San Bernardino County Fairgrounds, 14800 Seventh St. in Victorville; and the Pomona Fairplex, 601 W. McKinley Ave. — enter Gate 3 at the corner of McKinley and White Avenue.

Animal evacuation centers are at the Devore Animal Shelter for pets and livestock, 19777 Shelter Way in San Bernardino, 909-386-9820 or after hours 800-472-5609; Palmdale Animal Care Center for small animals, 38550 Sierra Highway; Lancaster Animal Care Center for small animals, 5210 W. Ave. I; and the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds for large animals, 2551 W. Ave. H in Lancaster — call 562-706-8581 prior to arrival.

Officials also said the Incident Management Team was in the process of setting up a public meeting at 6 p.m. Saturday that would be livestreamed on Facebook, with a goal of having an “in-person location for the meeting, if possible, hopefully in/near the Phelan area.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom secured funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for fighting all the fires in California, including the Airport Fire, the Line Fire in San Bernardino County and the Bridge Fire that is scorching LA and San Bernardino counties.

Newsom traveled Wednesday to Highland, where he was briefed at the Line Fire Incident Command Post and visited neighborhoods on the edge of blaze. He proclaimed a state of emergency for the four Southern California counties in response to the wildfires.

On Thursday, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved an emergency proclamation in response to the fires.

No deaths or major injuries were reported.

The fire’s cause was under investigation.

Updates on the firefighting effort are available online at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/9/8/bridge-fire.

Updated Sept. 14, 2024, 11:12 a.m.