California Governor Gavin Newson has declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County as the so-called Line Fire has burned through more than 23,600 acres. Mandatory evacuations have been issued for communities across the county about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. The fire started on Thursday Sept. 5 near the San Bernardino National Forest and stands at 3% contained as of 4:02 p.m. local time on Monday according to CalFire.
There are currently 36,328 structures threatened by fire, but no damage to structures has been reported as of now. Residents in 10 areas have been ordered to evacuate, and six others are under evacuation warnings . Some 1700 fire personnel are working to contain the fire including 15 helicopters and 195 fire engines. There have been no civilian deaths or injuries reported, but three firefighters have suffered minor injuries. The blaze has caused both Redlands Unified and Bear Valley Unified school districts to cancel all classes for Monday.
Orange County is experiencing their own wildfire problem as the so-called Airport Fire broke out Monday afternoon in Trabuco Canyon just east of Irvine and has burned 1,300 acres as of 4 p.m. local time. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for three areas and warnings have been issued for several other nearby communities.
Both fires spread comes at the end of an extreme heat wave that saw much of Southern California experiencing triple-digit temperatures. The heat around the Line Fire has been so extreme that it caused its own weather systems on Saturday producing thunderstorm-like clouds. The storm system caused 280 lightning strikes in the area according to the National Weather Service.
“Hot and dry weather will continue Monday with an Excessive Heat Warning for the lower elevations of the fire. There will be areas of smoke in the morning that could become more widespread in the afternoon. There is also a chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the late morning and through the early evening,” CalFire said Monday morning on their website.
Evacuation orders remain in place for the communities of Running Springs, Arrowbear Lake, and areas east of Highway 330 and other regions.
Running Springs resident Tyler Dewhirst said the fire didn’t seem like it was spreading very quickly Saturday morning but as the day went on they kept seeing the smoke inching closer to their area.
“In the afternoon we kept seeing the smoke get closer. We packed a few things just in case we got the evacuation notice,” Dewhirst said. “At around 5 we got the evacuation order. We loaded up the cats and the stuff we packed and headed down the hill. Traffic was crazy on the way down because of everyone leaving at once.”
Steven Michael King, also a Running Springs resident, said he had planned to stay and fight the fire and help his neighbors, but Sunday morning the fire had intensified so much he had to leave.
“It came down to, which is worse, being trapped or being in a shelter?” he told the Associated Press outside an evacuation center Sunday. “When conditions changed, I had to make a quick decision, just a couple of packs and it all fits in a shopping cart.”
Officials said that the vegetation in San Bernardino is critically dry and triple-digit temperatures and relative humidity make these ideal conditions for the fire to spread. The cause of both fires are still under investigation.
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